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ifty  Years  After 


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Boyd 


Half  Century  of  Presbyterianism 
in  Camden,  fievu  Jersey 


UCSB  LIBRARY 


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Fifty  Years  After 


Half  Century  of  Presbyterianism 


CAMDEN,  NEW  JERSEY 


With  Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Presbyterian  Ministers 
who  have  labored  there 


BY 

Rev.  William  Boyd 

Pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church 


Kranklin   Printing  Coivirany 
180O 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/fiftyyearsafteroOOboydiala 


INTRODUCTION, 


IT  is  pleasant  to  recall  the  memory  and  to  recount  the  experi- 
ences of  former  generations.  Frequently  the  best  of  men  go 
down  to  the  grave  without  leaving  behind  them  any  lasting 
trace  of  their  existence.  Tiieir  record  is  on  high,  and  in  the  great 
day  of  final  account  when  the  history  of  every  life  shall  be  disclosed, 
their  deeds  of  piety  and  benevolence,  long  forgotten  here,  shall  be 
brought  forward  in  the  sight  of  an  assembled  universe,  as  evidences 
of  tlieir  love  and  loyalty  to  Christ.  Meanwhile  it  is  a  gratifying 
task  to  perpetuate,  even  though  it  be  imperfectly,  the  remembrance 
of  a  little  of  that  work  and  labor  of  love  which  God  is  not  unright- 
eous to  forget.  It  is  proper,  too,  that  the  young  men  and  women 
of  our  churches  whose  characters  are."  still  upon  the  anvil,"  should 
feel  the  impact  of  the  patient,  prayerful,  self-denying  exertions 
of  those  who  laid  the  foundation  of  their  religious  privileges, 
some  of  whom  have  turned  many  to  righteousness  and  now  "  shine  as 
the  stars  forever  and  ever."  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  manner 
in  which  God,  in  fulfillment  of  His  promise,  is  pleased  to  honor 
the  faith  and  bless  the  labors  of  His  people  to  their  spiritual  ad- 
vancement and  growth.  It  is  fitting  that  the  semi-centennial  of 
the  first  organized  effort  to  introduce  the  Presbyterian  faith  and 
practice  into  a  community  should  meet  with  some  memorial,  how- 
ever humble,  at  our  hands.  And  it  is  important  that  any  attempt 
to  sketch  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Camden  for 
the  past  fifty  years,  if  done  at  all,  should  be  done  now.  So  far  as 
the  writer  knows,  he  is  the  only  person  who  is  familiar  with  the 
facts  in  the  history  of  the  Old  Central  Church,  whilst  most  of  the 
Missionary  operations  of  the  denomination  in  this  city,  have  tran- 
spired within  his  knowledge  or  under  his  care. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  acknowledge,  except  by  way  of  general 

3 


reference,  the  uniform  kindness  with  which  all  inquiries  bearing 
upon  the  subject-matter  of  the  history  have  been  met.  A  partial 
recognition  of  the  sources  from  which  much  of  the  information  has 
beeu  derived  will  be  fouud  subjoined  to  the  body  of  the  text. 
Special  thanks,  however,  are  due  to  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Reeves,  of 
Bridgeton,  to  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Dulles,  Librarian  of  Princeton  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  and  to  the  Camden  Courier,  in  whose  columns  the 
sketch  originally  appeared,  for  substantial  service  rendered  ;  to  Mr. 
John  P.  R.  Carney  for  the  loan  of  a  rare  photograph  of  the  Old  City 
Hall  as  it  appeared  in  1876  ;  and  to  Mr.  Frederick  Borquin  for  his 
generous  act  in  gratuitously  engraving  a  modified  copy  of  this  pho- 
tograph as  a  frontispiece  for  the  book.  The  interest  which  Mr. 
Borquin  has  taken  in  reproducing  the  City  Hall  as  it  stood  in 
1840,  largely  from  personal  recollection  and  research,  and  partly 
from  the  suggestions  of  the  photograph,  will  long  be  remembered 
and  gratefully  appreciated. 

With  a  God-speed  and  benison  to  all  who  are  of  "  like  precious 
faith "  with  ourselves,  we  make  this  contribution  to  the  local 
history  of  our  church  and  city,  praying  meanwhile  with  King 
Solomon  :  "  The  Lord  our  God  be  with  us,  as  He  was  with  our 
fathers  ;   let  Him  not  leave  us,  nor  forsake  us."  W.  B. 


FIFTY  YEARS  AFTER. 


IT  may  seem  difficult,  in  the  heat  and  hurry  of  the  last  decade 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  to  transport  ourselves  back  a 
period  of  fifty  years,  that  we  may  contemplate  the  contrasted 
conditions  of  Camden  history,  while  pondering  the  counsel  of  the 
wise  king,  "  Say  not  thou,  what  is  the  cause  that  the  former  days 
were  better  than  these  ?"  But  there  are  those  still  living  in  our 
midst — their  number,  alas !  too  rapidly  diminishing — who  were 
then  the  active  players  in  the  drama  of  life,  and  whose  memories, 
undimmed  by  the  march  of  time,  love  to  linger  in  the  past,  while 
catching  the  richer  radiance  which  streams  from  a  hopeful  outlook 
upon  the  future.  With  their  assistance  we  may  bridge  the  chasm 
of  these  thronging  years  and  in  imagination,  at  least,  endeavor  to 
recall  one  phase  of  the  religious  life  of  Camden  as  we  might  have 
witnessed  it  half  a  century  ago. 

An  aged  resident  of  this  city,  whose  memory  is  singularly  reten- 
tive and  bright,  describes  her  experiences  upon  the  first  Sunday 
which  she  spent  in  Camden.  Her  parents  had  come  across  the 
river  to  pass  the  summer  months  in  rural  quiet,  and  had  located  in 
the  vicinity  of  Sixth  and  Kaighn  Avenue.  With  the  dawn  of 
the  day  of  rest,  accompanied  by  her  father,  she  started  out  in 
search  of  a  place  of  worship.  They  had  heard  that  Divine  ser- 
vice, after  the  Presbyterian  fashion,  was  statedly  conducted  in 
Camden,  but  how  to  reach  the  city  limits  was  a  problem.  The 
well-paved  streets  which  go  dipping  north  and  south,  east  and 
west,  toward  creek  and  river,  were  then  covered  with  vast  stretches 
of  cultivated  fields  and  luxuriant  meadows.  No  railroad  train 
ploughed  its  way  through  these  fertile  fields  and  through  the 
fourth  commandment.  No  omnibus  or  car,  upon  mercy  bent,  rat- 
tled its  weekly  round  through  populous  thoroughfares,  picking  up 
the  wearied  worshiper  and  depositing  him  at  the  gates  of  Zion. 
The  Sabbath  quiet  was  undisturbed  by  the  shrill  cry  of  the  news- 

5 


6 

boy  or  the  shriller  shriek  of  the  iron  horse.  The  melody  of  sing- 
ing birds  and  the  sweet  ehimings  of  church  bells,  wafted  across  the 
river,  alone  broke  the  prevailing  silence.  One  can  scarcely  realize 
the  change  which  "  has  come  over  the  spirit  of  Camden's  dream  " 
in  the  short  period  of  fifty  years.  It  seems  incredible  that  as  late 
as  1842,  upon  the  summit  of  Cooper's  Hill,  not  far  from  the  inter- 
section of  Broadway  and  Berkeley  Street,  stood  a  stately  grove  of 
virgin  oak  and  pine,  flanked  upon  the  east  by  a  magnificent  apple 
orchard,  or  that,  in  passing  from  the  southern  section  of  our  city, 
fences  must  be  climbed,  stiles  surmounted,  marshes  avoided,  and 
numerous  inquiries  instituted,  before  an  opening  could  be  discovered 
which  led  directly  to  the  town. 

Arriving  at  Federal  Street,  the  strangers  were  surprised  to  find 
that  the  place  of  worship  was  the  Court  House.  As  they  stood 
beneath  the  gloomy  building,  with  its  barred  windows,  the  father 
quietly  said,  "  Well,  this  will  be  the  first  time  that  I  have  been  in 
prison."  Their  surprise  was  intensified,  however,  when  they 
entered  the  Court  House  and  found  an  army  chaplain,  clothed  in 
martial  uniform,  seated  upon  the  platform.  As  the  old  warrior, 
his  gray  locks  streaming  down  his  shoulders,  arose  to  preach  "  to 
these  spirits  in  prison,"  two  of  his  auditors  mentally  said,  "  we 
will  not  get  much  of  a  sermon  this  morning."  But  as  he  opened 
up  his  text,  and  with  logical  force  developed  and  applied  its  doc- 
trine, they  sat  entranced  beneath  the  bewitching  spell  of  his 
oratory.  For  several  Sabbaths  they  attended  with  increasing 
delight  upon  his  preaching  before  they  learned  that  they  had  been 
listening  to  William  L.  McCalla,  the  uncompromising  antagonist 
of  their  beloved  pastor  Albert  Barnes,  in  those  remarkable  dis- 
cussions which  attended  the  separation  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
into  Old  School  and  New.  But  a  few  years  before  they  had  seen 
him  enter  the  lecture  room  of  their  own  church,  and  depositing  an 
armful  of  books  in  the  hollow  of  an  old  iron  stove,  blaze  out  into 
a  violent  attack  upon  the  heresies  of  Mr.  Barnes.  And  when  the 
saintly  victim  of  the  attack,  under  a  charge  more  unfounded  than 
the  others,  arose  and  modestly  addressed  the  presiding  officer  with  : 
"  Mr.  Moderator,  if  I  had  said  that  of  which  I  am  accused  I 
would  have  been  guilty  of  a  palpable  falsehood.     I  deny  ever 


uttering  it,"  they  had  seen  the  very  preacher  to  whom  they  had 
been  listening  with  rapt  attention,  regardless  of  the  remonstrance, 
pursue  the  uneven  tenor  of  his  way  like  some  erratic  comet,  the 
very  eccentricity  of  whose  orbit  carries  consternation  into  the 
breast  of  the  observer,  lest  it  violate  the  laws  of  harmony  or  dis- 
turb the  right  relations  of  things.  Yet  such  was  the  personal 
magnetism  of  the  man,  and  such  the  eloquence  and  fervor  of  his 
preaching,  that  the  prejudices  of  my  informant  and  her  father 
passed  away,  and  during  their  stay  in  Camden  they  were  among 
his  most  faithful  hearers  and  his  most  constant  admirers. 


THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH. 

The  history  of  that  little  congregation  in  the  Court  House  may 
be  briefly  told.  Upon  the  27th  of  September,  1840,  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey,  to  look  after  the  des- 
titute places  within  its  bounds,  organized  a  church  of  twelve  mem- 
bers, in  Camden,  which  shortly  afterward  extended  a  call  to  Rev. 
Alexander  Heberton,  of  Salem,  to  become  its  pastor.  Mr.  Heber- 
ton  declining  the  call,  Rev.  William  L.  McCalla,  of  Philadelphia, 
was,  in  the  month  of  April,  1841,*  invited  to  act  as  stated  supply 
for  the  term  of  six  months.  To  this  action  Presbytery  was  un- 
favorably disposed,  for  when  the  elders  of  the  congregation 
requested  the  Committee  on  Destitutions  to  make  an  application  to 
the  Board  of  Missions  for  a  commission  for  Mr.  McCalla,  and  the 
request  was  referred  by  them  to  Presbytery  for  instructions  as  to 
the  proper  course  to  pursue,  that  body  unanimously  resolved, 
"  That  it  was  inexpedient  for  the  committee  to  make  such  applica- 
tion, and  that  the  committee  be  directed  to  convey  to  the  elders  of 
the  church  at  Camden  the  resolution  of  Presbytery."  The  church, 
however,  persisted  in  its  desire  to  secure  the  settlement  of  Mr. 
McCalla.  "  It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  many  of  our  readers," 
says  the  Camden  Mail,  under  date  of  July  14th,  1841,  "to  know 
that  the  Presbyterian  congregation  of  this  city  hold  regular  meet- 

*  Upon  Sunday  afternoon,  April  18th,  he  preached  a  discourse,  commemora- 
tive" of  the  life  and  labors  of  President  Harrison,  who  had  just  died. 


8 

iugs  for  public  worship  at  the  City  Hall,  and  that  they  have 
invited  the  Rev.  William  L.  McCalla  to  become  their  pastor."  A 
pro  re  nata  meeting  of  Presbytery  was  accordingly  held  in  Wood- 
bury, August  9th,  1841,  at  which  Mr.  McCalla  presented  a  letter 
of  dismission  from  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  requested  to 
be  received  and  enrolled  as  a  member,  and  to  be  installed  over  the 
new  church ;  the  church,  through  its  elder,  Henry  Lelar,  Jr.,  at 
the  same  time  presenting  a  call  for  his  services.  Presbytery, 
thereupon,  resolved,  "  That  it  is  inexpedient  to  receive  the  Rev. 
Mr.  McCalla  as  a  member,  and  that  he  have  leave  to  withdraw 
his  papers."  The  yeas  and  nays  were  called  for,  and  the  ministers 
and  elders  present,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Lelar,  sustained  the 
resolution. 

Mr.  McCalla  was  not  the  man  to  submit  to  an  imaginary,  much 
less  to  what  seemed  to  be  a  real  grievance.  As  one  of  his  biogra- 
phers good  humoredly  says,  "  He  was  a  man  of  war  from  his 
youth."  From  the  time  of  his  reception  into  the  Presbyterian 
Church  as  a  candidate  for  its  ministry,  when,  during  his  examina- 
tion, he  had  entered  into  an  altercation  with  Dr.  Blythe  upon  a 
matter  of  politics  until,  in  his  dislike  for  Catholicism,  he  found  his 
way  to  Louisiana  and  died  "  fighting  the  devil  upon  his  own 
ground,"  his  ministerial  life  is  covered  with  the  scars  of  many  con- 
flicts. It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  to  find  him  petitioning  the 
Synod  of  Philadelphia,  at  its  next  meeting,  to  redress  his  griev- 
ances, inasmuch  as  the  refusal  of  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey  to 
entertain  the  call  from  Camden  had  injured  the  cause  of  Christ  in 
that  city,  and  had  afifected  his  own  ministerial  usefulness.  It  is 
surprising,  however,  to  note  the  action  of  Synod  in  the  case. 
An  exception  was  taken  to  the  minutes  of  Presbytery  on  the  ground 
that  "  the  application  of  Rev.  William  L.  McCalla  to  be  received  as 
a  member  was  rejected  without  any  statement  of  reasons  which  led 
to  this  act.  This  is  regarded  as  an  act  of  injustice  to  the  applicant." 
The  Synod,  moreover,  by  a  recorded  vote  of  52  to  20,  detached 
"  Camden  and  the  parochial  vicinage  "  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Presbytery  of  West  Jersey  and  annexed  it  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia,  and  directed  the  congregation  of  Camden,  if  it  still 


9 

desired  to  prosecute  a  call  for  Mr.  McCalla's  services,*  to  present 
it  to  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  to  be  issued  by  them.  Mr. 
McCalla  had  given  no  notice  of  his  intention  to  appeal  to  Synod. 
Only  a  small  representation  of  Presbytery  was  present  to  defend  its 
action,  but  these,  in  conjunction  with  those  members  of  Synod  who 
doubted  the  regularity  of  the  proceedings,  drew  up  a  formal  com- 
plaint, and  gave  notice  that  it  would  be  presented  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  General  Assembly.  Presbytery  at  its  spring  session 
in  Greenwich,  April  20th,  1842,  unanimously  approved  of  this 
action  of  its  delegates  on  "  all  points  in  which  the  constitution  of 
the  church  had  been  violated." 

In  the  meantime  the  church  which  had  been  the  cause  of  the 
dispute  had  been  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 
This  Presbytery,  however,  did  not  seem  anxious  to  retain  it. 
January  5th,  1842,  Elder  Lelar  being  present,  by  a  vote 
of  9  to  5,  with  5  persons  excused  from  voting,  it  was  resolved  to 
ask  Synod  to  rescind  its  action.  The  application  was  regularly 
made  October  21st,  1842,  and  upon  motion  of  Dr.  Breckinridge, 
Camden  and  the  parochial  vicinage  were  retransferred  to  the 
Presbytery  of  West  Jersey.  Was  it  about  this  time  that  the  hap- 
less waif  expired  ?  It  is  usually  said  that  the  church  disbanded 
December  1st,  1841,  having  existed  fourteen  months,  but  the  fact 
that  Elder  Lelar  represented  the  church  at  the  meeting  which  the 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  held  in  January,  and  also  that  the 
matter  came  up  for  final  settlement  in  the  month  of  October  fol- 
lowing, would  seem  to  make  the  date  of  dissolution,  December  1st, 
1842.  On  the  30th  of  January,  1842,  the  congregation  vacated 
the  Court  House  and  commenced  worshiping  in  "  Miss  Turner's 

*The  sentiment  of  the  congregation  is  doubtless  voiced  by  the  Mail,  where  it 
says,  November  10th,  1841:  "The  reverend  gentleman  had  endeared  himself  to 
many  of  our  citizens  by  his  amenity  of  manner  and  Christian  deportment,  and 
the  extraordinary  exercise  of  power  by  the  Church  judicatory  in  his  case  was 
generally  looked  upon  as  harsh,  uncalled  for,  and  tyrannical.  It  is  with  unfeigned 
pleasure,  therefore,  we  learn  of  his  restoration  to  pastoral  duty  among  us,  satis- 
fied as  we  are  that  his  devout  example  as  a  Christian  instructor  is  calculated  to  do 
much  good  in  our  community.  The  City  Hall  was  opened  again  for  public  wor- 
ship on  Sunday  last,  and  we  understand  that  Mr.  McCalla  will  preach  there  regu- 
larly hereafter  the  morning  and  afternoon  of  each  Sabbath." 


10 

school-room  near  the  market/'  and  as  late  as  the  month  of  April, 
when  the  last  of  three  articles  upon  the  "  Evils  of  the  Race- 
Course  "  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  3Iail  over  the  signature 
of  Mr.  McCalla,  he  was  still  preaching  in  this  city. 

The  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  justified  its  request  for  a  re- 
transfer,  upon  the  ground  that  the  Synod  had  taken  its  former 
action  "  on  the  petition  of  an  individual  not  connected  with  the 
church  of  Camden."  In  1852  Mr.  McCalla  published  his 
"  Argument  for  the  Cleansing  of  the  Sanctuary,"  in  which  he 
advocates  the  exclusion  of  non-communicants  from  the  office  of 
trustee,  and  also  from  the  privilege  of  voting  in  church  meetings. 
Alluding  to  his  troubles  in  this  city  he  says  :  (p.  142)  "  On  both 
sides  of  the  Delaware,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  con- 
gregations have  solicited  my  services,  and  these  secular  usurpers 
(meaning  non-communicant  trustees  and  voters)  and  their  repre- 
sentatives have  refused  to  hear  their  call,  or  to  hear  my  petition  or 
complaint.  This  was  done  upon  pretexts  false  and  foul,  in  irre- 
concilable opposition  to  Presbyterianisra  and  Protestantism, 
Christianity  and  Civilization."  This  was  Mr.  McCalla's  explana- 
tion of  his  Camden  difficulties.* 

The  story  of  the  "  Old  First "  Church  would  be  incomplete 
without  some  reference  to  the  life  of  Mr.  McCalla, 

Camden's  pioneer  presbytekian  missionary. 

This  remarkable  man  was  born  in  Kentucky,  November  25th, 
1788,  at  a  time  when  that  State  was  still  a  county  of  Virginia,  and  so 
wild  that  a  panther  was  among  his  first  playmates.  He  dedicated 
himself  to  God  in  early  youth,  and  as  a  young  man  had  many 
drawings  toward  the  ministry,  but  was  for  a  while  deterred  from 
entering  upon  the  sacred  office  by  the  fear  that  faithfulness  would 
lead  to  poverty  and  persecution.  He  pursued  a  partial  course  of 
study  at  Transylvania  University,  but  was  prevented  from  gradua- 
ting by  an  almost  fatal  illness.     By  special  permission  of  Presby- 

*  History  of  Camden  County;  Minutes  of  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey,  and  of 
Synod  and  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia ;  Nevin's  History  of  Presbytery  of  Phila- 
delphia. 


11 

tery  he  studied  theology  at  such  times  and  in  such  ways  as  his 
shattered  constitution  would  allow.  He  was  appointed  army 
chaplain  by  General  Jackson  in  1815;  in  1819  became  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Augusta,  Ky. ;  from  1824-35  was  settled  over  the 
Eighth  or  Scots  Chui-ch,  Philadelphia;  in  1835  traveled  in  Texas 
and  again  served  as  chaplain  in  the  army;  in  1837  returned  to 
Philadelphia  and  labored  successfully  in  the  Fourth,  Tabernacle^ 
and  Union  Churches  ;  spent  the  spring  and  fall  of  1840  in  Texas, 
returning  in  time  to  become  stated  supply  in  Camden  ;  in  1 854 
performed  missionary  work  in  St.  Louis  among  the  boatmen,  and 
afterward  among  the  slaves  of  the  South.  He  died  in  Louisiana, 
October  12th,  1859,  in  the  71st  year  of  his  age. 

Nature  had  endowed  Mr.  McCalla  with  many  of  the  elements 
which  go  to  make  up  an  effective  platform  speaker.  He  was  of  a 
tall  and  commanding  presence,  with  piercing  eyes,  jet  black  hair, 
and  a  clarion  voice.  He  was  a  good  linguist,  having  a  wonderful 
command  of  English  and  more  or  less  acquaintance  with  seven 
other  languages.  In  private  life  he  was  a  warm-hearted  and  genial 
companion,  gifted  with  rare  conversational  powers,  and  with  an 
inexhaustible  fund  of  anecdote  and  wit.  He  especially  excelled  in 
debate.  His  Kentuckian  instincts  led  him  largely  into  the  field  of 
polemics.  He  was  accustomed  to  say  that  there  was  nothing  in 
which  he  took  greater  delight  than  in  breaking  a  pair  of  spirited 
colts,  a  statement  which  his  friends  might  have  qualified  by  add- 
ing, "  unless  it  was  the  excitement  of  a  hot  and  thrilling  debate." 
"  He  had  an  uncommon  power  of  self-control  and  could  say  the 
most  diverting  and  cutting  things  without  changing  a  muscle.  In 
all  his  contests  he  remained  perfectly  cool."  As  Dr.  Miller,  of 
Princeton,  said  of  him,  "  he  was  as  smooth  as  oil,  but  it  was  the  oil  of 
vitriol."  He  held  remarkable  discussions  with  the  Arian  Baptists, 
William  Lane,  of  Milford,  Del.,  and  Frederick  Plumraer,  of  Leiper- 
ville.  Pa. ;  with  John  Hughes,  afterward  Archbishop  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church ;  with  Abner  Kneeland,  the  Atheist,  and  Joseph 
Barker,  the  Infidel.  In  the  controversy  which  rent  the  Presby- 
terian Church  asunder  in  1837,  he  sustained  his  reputation  for 
"  pugnacity,  ability,  and  power  of  sarcasm."  His  most  celebrated 
encounter  was  with  Alexander  Campbell,  who  was  assisted  in  the 


12 

debate  by  the  notorious  Sidney  Rigdon,  afterward  a  leader  of  the 
Mormons. 

The  following  are  the  publications  which  he  issued  from  the 
press :  "A  Discussion  of  Universalism  ;  or,  A  Defense  of  Ortho- 
doxy against  the  Heresy  of  Universalism;"  "A  Correct  Narra- 
tive of  the  Affairs  connected  with  the  Trial  of  the  Rev.  Albert 
Barnes;"  a  small  collection  of  Psalms  and  hymns  in  French; 
"  Adventures  in  Texas  chiefly  in  the  Spring  and  Summer  of 
1840,  with  a  Discussion,"  etc.;  and  "An  Argument  for  Cleans- 
ing the  Sanctuary,  delivered  in  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia, 
with  an  Introduction,"  in  which  it  is  said  "  Delicate  nerves  will 
doubtless  be  terribly  shocked  at  the  clangor  of  Mr.  McCalla's  refor- 
mation blast."  His  "Adventures  in  Texas  "  is  a  strange  melange  of 
piety,  keenness  of  observation,  and  wit.  He  gives  us  a  glimpse 
into  some  of  the  hardships  of  his  ministry,  in  one  place,  in  the  form 
of  a  parable,  pilloring  under  fictitious  names,  two  well-known 
ministers  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  General  iu  the  United  States 
Army  of  national  reputation.  He  is  especially  severe  upon  doctors 
of  divinity.  A  most  laughable  allusion  to  an  incident  in  the  book 
of  Kings  it  might  be  in  questionable  taste  to  quote,  but  his  opinion 
of  academic  titles,  when  applied  to  the  ministry,  is  easily  seen 
where  he  says:  "  But  to  secure  the  full  benefit  of  it,  the  title  ought 
to  be  fully  written  out  and  translated  like  the  Scriptures,  or  the 
common  people  will  be  in  perpetual  perplexity  about  the  meaning 
of  D.  D.  as  they  are  about  the  letters  O.  K.  in  party  politics  ;  and 
they  may  be  as  capricious  in  changing  the  meaning.  At  first  O.  K. 
was  General  Jackson's  seal  of  approbation  upon  all  that  his  suc- 
cessor did,  and  afterward,  when  that  successor  was  removed  from 
office,  O.  K.  was  turned  wrong-end  foremost,  and  interpreted  kicked 
out.  As  D.  D.  is  given  to  many  ecclesiastics  who  are  wrong-end 
foremost,  their  title  is  subject  to  the  same  vicissitude,  unless  its 
meaning  is  fixed,  like  the  Hebrew  words,  by  punctuarian  additions." 
After  enumerating  the  many  mistaken  impressions  of  the  meaning 
of  the  letters  which  the  common  people  might  form,  principal 
among  which  is  the  conviction  that  it  may  mean  D-umb  D-og,  "a 
scriptural  title  exceedingly  suitable  to  those  who  are  for  letting 
error  die  a  natural  death,"  he  concludes  by  saying :  "  But   most 


13 

people  prefer  explaining  a  T>.  D.  to  mean  Dulce  Donum,  a  sweet 
bribe,  which  like  the  Regium  Donum,  the  bait  of  John  Bull,  is 
intended  to  catch  such  gudgeons  as  may  be  gulled  in  that  way." 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  cursory  review  of  Mr,  McCalla's  life  that 
he  was  a  man  of  brilliant  parts,  a  keen  and  original  thinker,  a  faith- 
ful and  eloquent  preacher.  "  His  success  in  life,"  says  the  intro- 
duction to  one  of  his  books,  "  has  always  been  impeded  by  his 
frankness  in  speaking  out  his  sentiments  and  feelings  ;  his  want  of 
policy  in  his  dealings  with  men ;  his  ready  use  of  his  irrepressible 
satire ;  but  most  of  all  by  his  bold  adherence  to  a  simple,  un- 
tarnished form  of  Christianity,  never  giving  place  to  the  influence 
of  the  world — no,  not  for  an  hour."  .  There  is  something  pathetic  in 
the  language  of  this  same  introduction,  when  intimating  that  he 
had  been  deserted  in  his  old  age  by  his  Old  School  friends,  it  says, 
"  The  New  School  press  "  (which  had  regarded  him  as  the  "  chief 
alarmist "  in  the  controversies  of  '37,  and  as  the  "  chief  thorn  in 
their  side")  "exhibited  a  generous  sympathy  for  their  fallen  foe, 
and  a  proper  dislike  for  the  inhumanity  with  which  his  labors  were 
rewarded."* 

THE  PRESENT  FIRST  CHURCH. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  author  of  these  sketches  to  enter 
into  a  detailed  account  of  the  history  of  existing  organizations. 
He  has  endeavored,  however,  to  tell  with  fullness  and  fidelity,  the  • 
story  of  the  origin  and  struggles  of  those  churches  which  have  suc- 
cumbed to  the  force  of  circumstances,  and  whose  very  names  are  in 
danger  of  perishing  from  the  memory  of  men.  The  First  Church 
will  in  a  few  years  celebrate  the  semi-centennial  of  its  existence. 
Its  noble  history,  the  story  of  its  discouragements  and  successes, 
will  then  be  sketched  by  another  hand.  In  the  meantime,  to  com- 
plete this  rapid  review  of  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  denomina- 
tion in  our  city,  we  will  outline,  in  the  briefest  way,  the  history 
of  the  Mother  Church. 

The  present  First  Church  dates  its  permanent  organization  from 

*  Presbyterian  Encyclopaedia;  "History  of  Old  Scots  Church,"  by  Eev.  J.  C. 
Thompson  ;  "  An  Argument  for  Cleansing  tiie  Sanctuary ;"  local  memoranda. 


14 

Jiiue  25th,  1846.  The  Rev.  Giles  Manwaring,  after  several  months 
of  faithful  missionary  labor,  had  gathered  together  a  membership 
of  twenty-one  persons,  who,  by  act  of  Presbytery,  were  constituted 
a  church,  with  William  Howell  as  its  first  elder.  The  names  of 
these  constituent  members  were  William  Howell,  Elizabeth  Howell, 
Albert  Montgomery,  Sarah  Montgomery,  Richard  B.  Jones,  Mary 
Jones,  Charles  J.  Hollis,  Angeline  Hollis,  George  W.  Helmbold, 
Mary  Anna  Helmbold,  Benjamin  Hunt,  Catherine  Hunt,  Cath- 
erine Casner,  Eliza  Casner,  Joseph  Casner,  Mercy  Howard,  Eliza- 
beth Holmes,  Ann  Nowland,  Mary  Nowland,  Julia  L.  Manwaring, 
all  received  by  certificate,  and  Mary  Horner,  received  upon  exam- 
ination. 

The  interests  of  Presbyterianisra  were  in  such  a  feeble  state  when 
Mr.  Manwaring  came  upon  the  field,  that  he  could  only  find  two 
families  in  the  whole  town  who  professed  that  faith.  Calling  upon 
these  families,  he  appointed  a  preliminary  meeting  for  9  o'clock, 
March  3d,  1846,  in  the  school-house  of  Miss  Turner,  Third  Street, 
between  Market  and  Arch.  There  the  strong  and  vigorous  church 
of  to-day  was  cradled.  Helen  Hunt  (now  Mrs.  Denning,  of  De- 
lanco)  was  the  first  Sabbath -school  scholar.  She  distinctly  remem- 
bers the  circumstances  of  that  humble  gathering.  Accompanied  by 
her  aunt,  she  entered  the  school-room  at  the  time  appointed,  and 
found  only  two  persons  in  waiting,  Auley  G.  McCalla,  cashier  of 
the  National  State  Bank,  and  Mr.  Manwaring.  The  little  room 
with  its  clean-scrubbed,  sanded  floor,  and  its  great  hot  stove  in 
the  centre,  made  a  vivid  impression  upon  her  mind.  Advancing 
to  the  little  girl,  Mr.  Manwaring  said,  "  Well,  you  have  the  honor 
of  being  our  first  Sabbath-school  scholar." 

In  this  school-room  divine  service  Avas  regularly  held  to  a  con- 
gregation that  varied  in  number  from  eight  to  twenty  persons,  in- 
cluding children.  In  the  month  of  April  the  service  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Court  House,  on  Federal  Street,  near  Fifth,  where 
the  organization*  as  stated  above  took  place.     The  Court  House 

*Upon  the  occasion  Rev.  George  W.  Janvier,  of  Pittsgrove,  preached  the  ser- 
mon ;  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  of  Mount  Holly,  offered  prayer ;  Rev.  Dr.  Van  Ren- 
sellaer,  of  Burlington,  proposed  the  constitutional  questions,  and  Rev.  John  M. 
Rodgers,  of  Woodbury,  made  an  address. 


15 


FIRST  PKESBYTEBIAN  CHURCH,  OP  CAMDEN,  N.  J. 


16 

was  ill-adapted  to  the  purposes  of  worship.  Political  meetings 
were  sometimes  held  upon  Saturday  nights,  and  Benjamin  Hunt, 
Joseph  Casner,  and  others,  after  the  adjournment  of  these  meet- 
ings, with  broom  and  pail  in  hand,  would  work  hard  and  long  to 
clean  the  room  and  make  it  sweet  and  wholesome  for  Sabbath 
worship.  During  the  existence  of  the  "Old  First"  Church  an 
effort  had  been  made  to  erect  a  church  edifice.  Mrs.  Alexander 
Henry,  of  Philadelphia,  had  promised  to  give  an  eligible  lot,  upon 
condition  that  the  congregation  would  put  up  a  building  worth 
$4,000.  Subscriptions  had  been  secured  to  the  amount  of  about 
$800,  but  the  failure  of  the  church  to  settle  a  pastor,  and  its  sub- 
sequent dissolution,  frustrated  the  fulfillment  of  the  plan.  As 
soon,  however,  as  the  new  organization  was  effected,  steps  were 
taken  to  secure  a  house  of  worship.  The  lot  previously  donated 
by  Mrs.  Henry  was  again  obtained  by  gift,  the  foundations  of  the 
church  edifice  were  laid,  and  the  corner-stone  was  set  in  place  October 
28th,  1846.  From  the  newspaper  report  of  the  exercises  connected 
with  this  auspicious  event,  we  learn  that  Revs.  Van  Reusellaer,  of 
Burlington;  C.  C.  Cuyler  and  John  McDowell,  of  Philadelphia; 
David  S.  Tod,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  Messrs.  Taylor  and  Street, 
of  Camden,  officiated ;  that  Mr.  Manwaring  read  the  history  of 
the  Church  and  deposited  it,  together  with  the  Shorter  Catechism 
and  some  religious  and  political  papers,  in  a  leaden  box,  which  was 
placed  in  the  corner-stone ;  and  that  in  substance  he  said,  "  I  now 
lay  this  corner-stone  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the 
city  of  Camden,  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  And  since  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  has 
prospered  this  enterprise  thus  far,  may  He  continue  to  do  so,  not 
only  until  these  materials  around  us  shall  be  converted  into  walls, 
but  until  we  are  permitted  to  enter  the  inclosure  and  dedicate  it 
complete  to  His  service.  And  when  this  shall  be  accomplished, 
may  the  Gospel  in  its  purity  and  primitive  simplicity  be  proclaimed 
to  all  who  enter  it.  And  may  the  Spirit  of  all  grace  accompany 
the  truth,  so  that  this  shall  be  the  spiritual  birthplace  of  souls.  Let 
us  commence  the  work  in  prayer;  and  ever  bear  in  mind  that, 
except  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain  who  build  it. 
Let  us  continue  in  prayer,  and  labor  in  the  cause  of  Christ  until 


17 

laboring  and  praying  shall  come  to  an  end,  and  we  enter  that 
temple  above,  where  the  noise  of  the  chisel  and  the  hammer  shall 
never  be  heard,  but  where  we  shall  unite  in  celebrating  the  praises 
of  God  and  the  Lamb.  And  we  will  ascribe  all  the  glory  to  the 
triune  God  forever.     Amen." 

Through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Mr.  Manwaring,  the  work  was 
so  far  advanced  that  in  the  spring  of  1847  the  congregation  was 
enabled  to  worship  in  the  basement  lecture-room.  The  main 
audience-room  was  not  completed  until  the  summer  of  1848.  The 
new  building  had  cost  $5,000.  To  its  erection  the  churches  of 
the  Presbytery  and  the  citizens  of  Camden  and  Philadelphia  had 
largely  contributed.* 

Mr.  Manwaring  resigned  his  charge  in  1848,  having  served  the 
church  two  years  and  two  mouths.  At  the  close  of  his  ministry 
there  were  fifty-three  communicants  upon  the  roll.  He  was  a  man 
of  lovely  Christian  spirit,  a  consecrated  servant  of  God,  who  in  the 
discharge  of  ministerial  duty  did  not  shrink  from  "enduring  hard- 
ness as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ."  The  late  Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge, 
when  writing  upon  one  occasion  of  the  sacrifices  which  are  some- 
times exacted  from  the  ministry,  illustrated  his  meaning  by  an  allu- 
sion to  the  experiences  of  Mr.  Manwaring.  His  life  in  Camden  was 
a  life  of  faith,  as  some  of  the  members  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society, 
who  assisted  in  gathering  up  the  scanty  provision  made  for  his  sup- 
port, could  testify. 

He  was  born  in  Lyme,  Connecticut,  July  20th,  1814,  but  spent 
the  years  of  his  childhood  in  Bethany  Centre,  N.  Y.  He  united 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church  when  fourteen  years  of  age.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  entered  the  High  School  at  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  re- 
maining there  until  he  matriculated  at  Union  College,  Schenectady, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1840.  For  one  year  he  was  principal 
of  the  Lyceum  in  Schenectady.  He  entered  Princeton  Seminary 
1841,  and  graduated  in  1844.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Brunswick,  April  26th,  1844,  and  was  ordained  by  the 
same  body,  August  26th,  1844.     For  a  little  more  than  a  year  he 

*  Iland-book  and  Minutes  of  the  Church  ;  Fisler's  History  of  Camden  ;  Com- 
munication from  Mrs.  Denning ;  Camden  Mail. 
2 


18 

served  as  stated  supply  and  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Tariffville, 
Conn.,  resigning  that  charge  to  come  to  Camden,  where  he  minis- 
tered until  May  23d,  1848,  when  he  felt  constrained  to  resign  for 
lack  of  adequate  support.  Having  exhausted  his  means  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  work  in  Camden,  he  opened  a  boarding-school 
in  Philadelphia,  but  was  obliged  by  ill-health  to  relinquish  this 
enterprise  July,  1851.  Four  years  after  his  withdrawal  from 
Camden,  he  passed  from  the  scenes  of  his  earthly  toil  to  an  eternal 
and  glorious  reward.  He  had  just  entered  upon  his  duties  as  prin- 
cipal of  the  Raymond  Collegiate  Institute,  a  high  school  for 
young  ladies  in  the  village  of  Carmel,  Putnam  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
prospects  of  great  usefulness  were  stretching  out  before  him.  He 
had  been  teaching  three  months,  at  the  same  time  supplying  the 
neighboring  pulpit  of  Red  Mills.  The  double  exertion  proved 
too  much  for  his  constitution,  and  on  the  11th  of  May,  1852,  in 
the  38th  year  of  his  age,  and  the  eighth  year  of  his  ministry,  he 
entered  into  the  Paradise  of  God.  The  last  sermon  that  he 
preached  was  from  the  text,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee." 

The  brief  story  of  Mr.  Manwaring's  pastorate  in  Camden  we 
have  sought  to  write ;  but  the  unwritten  portions  of  that  story, 
what  human  hand  can  record?  Upon  the  smiles  and  tears,  the 
anxieties  and  discouragements,  the  prayers  and  patient  toils  of  this 
self-denying  servant  of  Christ  much  of  the  success  of  these  latter 
years  of  Presbyterianism  in  this  city  rests.  With  the  Apostle  Paul, 
he  might  truly  have  said,  "  According  to  the  grace  of  God  which 
is  given  unto  me,  as  a  wise  master  builder,  I  have  laid  the  founda- 
tion and  another  buildeth  thereon.  But  let  every  man  take  heed 
how  he  buildeth  thereon."* 

The  second  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  Robinson  Potter 
Dunn,  D.  D.,  who  was  installed  November  1st,  1838,  and  who 
labored  with  great  acceptance  until  April  24th,  1851,  when  he 
became  Professor  of  Rhetoric  and  English  Literature  in  Brown 
University,  Providence,  R.  I.  During  his  ministry  forty  persons 
were  added  to  tlie  church. 

*  General  Catalogue  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary ;  Communication  from 
Rev.  Allen  H.  Brown ;  the  Presbyterian  ;  Memoranda  in  Alumni  Alcove  of  Prince- 
ton Seminary  Library. 


19 

Mr.  Dunn  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  May  31st,  1825.  At 
twelve  years  of  age  an  attack  of  hip  disease  confined  him  to  his 
bed  for  six  months.  It  was  during  this  illness  that  the  question 
of  personal  religion  suggested  itself  to  his  mind.  That  question 
never  left  him  until,  on  the  18th  of  November,  1838,  he  passed 
into  "the  new  life  in  Christ  Jesus."  He  was  admitted  into  the 
Congregational  Church,  December  26th,  1842.  At  a  very  early 
age  he  manifested  a  predilection  for  belles  lettres.  Series  of 
resolutions,  and  moral  meditations  written  at  the  age  of  13,  give 
evidence  of  the  precocity  of  the  child,  and  of  the  spirituality  of 
his  nature.  He  matriculated  as  a  freshman  in  Brown  University, 
in  1839,  and  graduated  with  the  highest  honors  from  that  institu- 
tion in  1843.  For  a  short  time  after  graduation  he  had  charge  of 
the  college  library,  and  gave  instruction  in  French  during  the  ab- 
sence of  the  regular  professor  in  Europe.  He  studied  theology  at 
Princeton  Seminary,  was  taken  under  care  of  Presbytery  as  a  can- 
didate for  the  ministry  in  April,  1846,  and  was  licensed  at  Free- 
hold in  the  following  year.  For  five  months  during  his  seminary 
course,  he  conducted  services  every  Sabbath  in  a  mission-hall, 
under  the  care  of  the  Tenth  Presbyterian  Church  of  Philadelphia. 
In  May,  1848,  he  graduated  in  theology.  Overtures  had  been 
made  to  him  to  settle  in  Bristol  and  Easton,  Pa.,  but  under  the 
advice  of  Dr.  Addison  Alexander  and  other  friends,  he  accepted 
a  uuanimous  call  to  Camden,  and  was  ordained  over  that  church 
by  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey,  Rev.  T.  L.  Cuyler  preaching 
the  sermon.  His  ministry  in  Camden  was  early  clouded  with  the 
shadow  of  a  great  domestic  sorrow.  His  infant  son  died  upon  the 
day  of  his  birth,  and  the  mother  followed  him  only  two  days  later. 
Six  months  after  this  event  came  the  first  temptation  to  leave  the  " 
scene  of  his  trial.  The  directors  of  Princeton  Seminary  offered 
him  the  position  of  Instructor  of  Hebrew.  The  honor  was  de- 
clined only  to  be  repeated  in  another  and  seemingly  more  impera- 
tive form,  when,  in  the  spring  of  1851,  came  the  appointment  to 
the  vacant  chair  of  Belles  Lettres  in  Brown  University,  which  he 
decided  to  accept.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  professor  in  that  in- 
stitution. August  22d,  1867,  he  was  attacked  with  erysipelas  in 
the  forehead,  which,  in  a  few  days,  extended  over  the  entire  face 


20 

and  head.  Upon  the  day  of  his  death,  after  a  night  of  restless- 
ness, when  the  windows  were  thrown  open  to  relieve  his  breathing, 
he  exclaimed  :  "  What  a  delicious  whiif  of  air.  It  is  like  a  breath 
from  the  River  of  the  Water  of  Life,"  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  already  standing  upon  its  shores.  When  told  that  he  was 
sinking  fast,  he  simply  said,  "Am  I  so  sick  as  that?"  He  met 
his  death  without  a  tremor.  His  biographer  says  :  "  A  few  hours 
before  his  death,  when  asked  to  take  more  stimulants,  he  replied, 
'Good-bye,  I  am  going  home.'  *  Yes,'  it  was  said  to  him,  'you 
are  going  to  the  Heavenly  City  which  you  loved  to  write  about,' 
and  he  assented.  The  last  sermon  he  had  written,  and  the  last 
which  any  of  his  family  had  heard  him  preach,  was  one  on  the  City  of 
God.  About  five  o'clock  that  beautiful  afternoon  he  passed  away. 
'  He  asked  life  of  Thee  and  Thou  gavest  him  long  life,  even  forever 
and  ever.' " 

Dr.  Dunn  was  a  polished  Christian  gentleman,  a  scholarly 
preacher,  a  vivacious  and  sympathetic  teacher.  He  possessed  to 
an  uncommon  degree  the  rare  faculty  of  winning  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  young  men.  He  was  a  close  student  of  the  Scriptures  in 
their  original  tongues,  had  mastered  the  French  language  in  his 
childhood,  and  in  later  years  had  become  proficient  in  German  and 
Italian.  He  had  entered  into  an  engagement  to  translate  the  book 
of  Proverbs  for  Dr.  Schaaf's  edition  of  •"  Lange's  Commentaries," 
and  had  just  begun  the  work  when  death  surprised  him.  He  was 
somewhat  of  an  hymnologist.     The  familiar  hymn 

"No,  no,  it  is  not  dying, 
To  go  unto  our  God," 

which  he  had  himself  translated,  was  read  at  his  funeral.  "Jesus, 
Jesus,  Visit  Me;"  "A  Stronghold  Firm,  a  Trusty  Shield;" 
"Attend,  O  Lord,  My  Daily  Toil,"  are  the  opening  words  of 
three  other  well-known  translations.  He  received  the  degree  of 
D.  D.  from  his  Alma  Mater.* 

The  third  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  Levi  Hunt  Christian, 
whose  ministry  extended  from  July  1st,   1851,  until  December 

*"  Biographical  Sketch,"  by  Dr.  Caldwell;  the  Presbyterian ;"  English 
Hymns,"  by  Duffield  ;  "  Sacred  Lyrics  from  the  German." 


21 

13th,  1853,  when  the  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved.     Forty-five 
persons  united  with  the  church  daring  liis  pastorate. 

Mr.  Christian  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  August  1st,  1817,  and 
graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  ]  840.  He  subsequently 
became  principal  of  the  Academy  at  Fredericksburg,  Va. ;  was  mis- 
sionary at  Lewinsville  and  Fairfax  from  1845-48  ;  was  ordained  as 
an  evangelist  by  the  Presbytery  of  Winchester,  October  3d,  1846  ; 
was  pastor  of  the  Court  Street  Church,  Rochester,  N,  Y.,  1849-50; 
associate  pastor  of  F  Street  Church,  Washington,  D.  C,  1850-51 ; 
pastor  of  First  Camden,  1851-53  ;  pastor-elect  at  Hamilton,  Ohio, 
1855,  and  pastor  of  the  North  Church,  Philadelphia,  from  1855 
until  about  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  October  23d,  1864. 
He  was  an  earnest  and  exemplary  Christian,  an  able  and  faithful 
preacher.  Several  of  his  sermons  were  given  to  the  press.  Among 
these  was  a  Thanksgiving  discourse  on  "  Our  Present  Position," 
published  in  1862.* 

The  fourth  pastor,  Rev.  Daniel  Stewart,  D.  D.,  began  his  labors 
April  1st,  1854,  but  was  not  formally  installed  over  the  church 
until  June  12th,  1856.  With  his  coming  the  era  of  prosperity  began 
to  dawn.  The  church,  which,  up  to  this  time,  had  received  assist- 
ance from  the  Board  of  Home  Missions,  became  self-sustaining. 
The  church  edifice  was  enlarged  at  an  expense  of  $2,750,  and  to 
the  extent  of  nearly  double  its  former  capacity  ;  the  lecture-room 
was  refurnished  ;  and,  in  the  early  part  of  1860,  a  colony  was  sent 
off  to  constitute  the  Second  Church.  Isaac  Van  Horn,  an  elder, 
and  14  other  members  were  set  aside  to  form  the  new  organization, 
and  substantial  assistance  was  from  time  to  time  rendered,  until  the 
enterprise  was  assured  of  success.  Dr.  Stewart  resigned  his  charge 
in  the  month  of  March,  1861.  During  his  ministry  160  members - 
had  been  added  to  the  roll. 

Dr.  Stewart  was  the  son  of  John  and  Catharine  Monteith  Stew- 
art, and  was  born  July  17th,  1811,  in  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.  He 
graduated  at  Union  College  in  1833,  and  at  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary  in  1838.     He  was  installed  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 


*  Presbyterian  Encyclopaedia ;  Neyin's  "  History  of  the  Presbytery  of  Phila- 
delphia Central." 


terian  Church  of  Amsterdam,  February  20tli,  1839.  lu  1840  he 
assumed  charge  of  the  church  at  Ballston  Spa,  and  in  1844  was 
installed  over  the  First  Church  of  New  Albany,  Ind.  From  1849-53 
he  filled  the  chair  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Hebrew  in  the 
New  Albany  Theological  Seminary.  He  then  became  pastor  suc- 
cessively of  the  churches  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  Johnstown,  N.  Y., 
Second  Church,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  the  Andrew  Church,  Min- 
neapolis. For  many  years  he  ministered  to  the  First  Church  of 
Minneapolis,  and  in  that  city  still  resides,  though  honorably  retired 
from  active  work. 

Dr.  Stewart  possessed  in  a  conspicuous  degree,  the  qualifications 
which  make  a  minister  of  the  gospel  "  a  workman  that  needeth  not 
to  be  ashamed."  He  was  a  diligent  student,  a  faithful  pastor,  a 
vigorous  preacher.  Several  of  his  sermons  have  appeared  in  print. 
He  was  a  warm  friend  of  church  extension,  and  each  of  the  con- 
gregations to  which  he  ministered  was  largely  built  up  and  strength- 
ened through  his  influence.* 

The  fifth  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Villeroy  D.  Reed,  D.  D.,  who 
was  installed  November  20th,  1861,  and  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  or  until  June  30th,  1884,  conntinued  to  minister  to  the 
congregation.  His  long  and  useful  pastorate  was  signalized  by  a 
marked  advance  in  the  temporal  and  spiritual  prosperity  of  the 
church.  His  faithful  preaching  was  honored  by  two  or  three  sea- 
sons of  special  quickening,  and  by  747  accessions  to  the  member- 
ship, 328  of  which  were  upon  profession  of  faith.  His  wise 
administrative  ability  bore  fruit  in  the  erection  of  the  present  com- 
modious and  handsome  house  of  worship,  at  a  cost,  including  lot 
and  furnishings,  of  nearly  $90,000.  The  impress  of  his  consistent 
Christian  character,  of  his  discreet  and  well-ripened  judgment,  of  his 
unremitting  pulpit  and  pastoral  labor,  will  long  be  felt  in  this 
community  in  giving  direction,  influence,  and  shape  to  the  future 
destiny  of  Presbyterian  ism. 

Dr.  Reed  was  born  at  Granville,  N.  Y.,  April  27th,  1815.  He 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  when 
twelve  years  of  age.     He  graduated  from  Union  College  in  1835, 

*  Presbyterian  Encyclopaedia. 


23 

studied  theology  at  Auburn  and  Princeton,  and  was  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel  August,  1838.  He  was  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  five  years,  and  of  the  church  of  Lansingburg, 
fourteen  years.  In  October,  1857,  he  was  elected  by  the  Synod  of 
Iowa  President  of  Alexander  College,  Dubuque.  In  1861  he 
was  installed  over  the  First  Church  of  this  city,  where  he  labored 
until  his  resignation  in  1884.  Since  leaving  Camden  he  has  been 
pastor  of  the  East  Whiteland  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Frazer,  Pa. 
He  is  now  without  a  charge.  Besides  being  an  able,  sound,  and 
earnest  preacher,  Dr.  Reed  has  been  a  valuable  member  of  our 
church  judicatories.  He  was  one  of  the  Old  School  Assembly's 
committee  on  re-union,  in  1866,  and  acted  as  secretary  for  that 
committee.  He  was  for  twelve  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Education,  and  for  five  years  its  president.  He  has  been  president 
of  the  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief  since  its  organization  in 
1876.* 

The  sixth  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  Marcus  A.  Brownson, 
who  was  installed  November  13th,  1884.  The  ministry  of  Mr. 
Brownson  was  marked  by  increasing  prosperity,  and  like  that  of 
his  predecessor,  is  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  many  who  will  read 
these  pages.  Coming  to  Camden  in  the  morning  of  his  ministerial 
life,  he  cast  his  youthful  energy  into  his  work,  and  by  his  kind 
and  consecrated  spirit,  and  his  effective  and  stirring  preaching  won 
his  way  at  once  to  the  affections  of  his  people.  His  pastorate  was 
marked  by  numerous  accessions  to  the  roll,  an  indebtedness  of 
$19,000  was  lifted  from  the  church  building,  and  the  benevolences 
of  the  congregation  were  placed  upon  a  new  and  more  systematic 
basis.  It  was  an  occasion  of  great  sorrow  to  his  church,  and  a 
source  of  regret  to  the  community,  that  an  unexpected  and  unani- 
mous call  from  the  First  Church  of  Detroit  should  have  removed 
him  from  the  field  in  which  he  had  labored  with  so  much  useful- 
ness and  success. 

Mr.  Brownson  is  the  son  of  Rev.  James  I.  Brownson,  D.  D.,  and 
Mrs.  Eleanor  A.  Brownson,  and  was  born  in  Washington,  Pa., 
where  his  father  has  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  preached 

*  Presbyterian  Encyclopaedia;  Hand-book  of  the  Cliurch. 


24 

the  gospel.  He  received  his  collegiate  training  at  Washington  and 
Jefferson  College  and  studied  theology  at  the  Western  Theological 
Seminary,  in  Allegheny.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Washington  (Pa.),  April  28th,  1880,  and  was  ordained  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Newcastle,  April  29th,  1883.  From  1881-1883  he 
had  charge  of  the  Hebron  Memorial  Chapel  of  the  Olivet  Church, 
Philadelphia,  and  was  assistant  pastor  of  the  Central  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  from  1883-1884.  From  1884-1889 
he- ministered  to  the  First  Church,  of  Camden.  He  is  still  pastor 
of  the  First  Church,  Detroit. 

The  present  pastor  of  the  church  is  Rev.  Wellington  E.  Loucks, 
who  is  a  native  of  Peoria,  111.  Graduating  from  the  High  School 
of  that  city  in  1873,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  an 
eminent  physician,  meantime  spending  the  winters  of  1873  and 
1874  in  teaching  school.  He  was  converted  June  6th,  1873,  under 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards.  Two  years  after  this 
event,  feeling  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  he  entered  Hanover 
College,  Ind.  On  account  of  intimate  connection  with  revival 
movement  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Madison,  which  threatened 
to  make  serious  demands  upon  his  time,  he  left  Hanover  and 
entered  Wabash  College,  Ind.  From  that  institution  he  graduated 
in  1877.  He  studied  theology  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Edwards, 
then  of  Danville  Seminary,  Ky.,  and  afterward  completed  the  en- 
tire course  prescribed  at  Chicago  Seminary  in  private.  He  was 
licensed  to  preach  April,  1877;  was  ordained  and  installed  over 
the  churches  of  Darlington  and  Bethel,  Ind.,  October,  1877;  was 
called  to  the  First  Church  of  Crawfordsville,  September,  1879 ; 
was  settled  over  the  First  Church  of  Logansport,  Ind.,  December, 
1880,  and  continued  to  be  its  pastor  for  nearly  seven  years.  His 
health  becoming  impaired,  he  relinquished  this  charge  and  in  the 
month  of  September,  1887,  accepted  a  call  to  the  assistant  pastor- 
ate of  North  Broad  Street  Church,  Philadelphia.  From  April  to 
September,  1889,  he  ministered  to  the  Oxford  Church,  of  that  city, 
during  the  illness  of  its  pastor.  He  was  called  to  Camden  October, 
1889. 

Mr.  Loucks,  in  the  short  period  of  his  pastorate,  has  given  the 
community  abundant  evidence  of  his  ability  to  fill  the  pulpit  of 


25 

the  First  Church  with  all  the  fervor,  grace,  and  eloquence  which 
have  marked  the  ministrations  of  the  line  of  godly  men  who  have 
preceded  him.  As  an  earnest  of  the  good  things  yet  in  store  for 
this  congregation,  large  accessions  have  already  been  made  to  its 
membership,  while  the  beautiful  Mission  Chapel  of  the  Central 
School,  dedicated  September  28th  to  the  service  of  God,  will  prove 
a  lasting  monument  to  the  devotion  and  zeal  which  have  charac- 
terized the  first  few  months  of  his  ministry. 

The  following  persons  have  been  Elders  of  the  church  :  William 
Howell,  David  Roe,  George  H.  Van  Gelder,  Isaac  Van  Horn,  James 
H.  Stevens,  William  Hart,  Joseph  D.  Reinboth,  John  Aikman, 
John  S.  Chambers,  George  W.  N.  Custis,  William  Fewsmith, 
Jacob  H.  Yocum,  John  F.  Starr,  Robert  P.  Stewart,  Asa  L.  Curtis, 
James  A.  Armstrong,  M.  D.,  William  Howard  Curtiss,  Carlton 
M.  Williams,  William  B.  Robertson,  Howard  O.  Hildebrand, 
Charles  Danenhower,  Gerard  R.  Vogels,  Andrew  Abels,  William 
J.  Searle. 

The  Deacons  who  have  served  the  church  are  John  V.  Schenck, 
M.  D.,  Cornelius  P.  VanDerveer,  William  M.  Shivers,  Benjamin 
G.  Davis,  Thomas  Fitzgerald,  James  A,  Armstrong,  M.  D.,  A.  T. 
Dobson,  M.  D.,  William  J.  Searle,  George  W.  Cole,  William  G. 
Garland,  William  H.  Huuterson,  Jr.,  John  H.  Shelmire,  Lawrence 
E.  Brown,  Downs  E.  Hewitt. 

The  following  persons  have  been  Trustees :  Joseph  Pogue, 
George  W.  Carpenter,  George  Helmbold,  Joseph  Casner,  William 
Howell,  John  Osier,  Auley  G.  McCalla,  John  Morgan,  Lawrence 
Cake,  Charles  J.  Hollis,  Solomon  L.  Stimson,  Henry  J.  Vanuxem, 
John  V.  Schenck,  M.  D.,  Thomas  McKeen,  Leander  N.  Ott, 
James  R.  Caldwell,  Charles  P.  Stratton,  Peter  L.  Voorhees,  Cor- 
nelius P.  VanDerveer,  James  H.  Stevens,  David  Caldwell,  Isaac 
Van  Horn,  William  Fewsmith,  Charles  Carpenter,  Samuel  L.Davis, 
Elisha  R.  Johnson,  George  W.  N.  Custis,  John  S.  Chambers,  John 
Stockham,  William  Curtiss,  Christopher  A.  Bergen,  Jacob  H. 
Yocum,  Albert  W.  Markley,  John  F.  Starr,  James  L.  R.  Campbell, 
Malcolm  Macdonald,  Charles  Stockham,  Alfred  J.  String,  D.  T. 
Gage,  Randal  E.  Morgan,  Edward  F.  Nivin,  Louis  T.  Derousse, 


26 

Simeon  T.  Ringle,  Welling  Schrack,  Luther  H.  Kellam,  John  W. 
Yeatts,  Harry  Fricke,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis.* 


THE  OLD  CENTEAL  CHURCH. 

Very  few  persons  now  resident  in  Camden  are  aware  of  the  fact 
that  three  years  after  the  organization  of  the  present  First  Church, 
and  for  six  years  subsequent  to  that  time,  another  Presbyterian 
Church  existed  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Clinton  Streets.  Al- 
though long  dead  its  influence  still  lives  and  perpetuates  itself  in 
the  Central  Public  School,  which  occupies  the  ground  upon  which 
it  stood. 

Some  little  unpleasantness  had  arisen  in  the  First  Church,  which 
had  resulted  in  the  disaffection  and  withdrawal  of  a  number  of 
persons,  the  most  prominent  of  whom  were  connected  with  the 
families  of  Casner,  Hunt,  Davis,  Taylor,  and  Smith.  Most  of 
these  persons  were  warm  friends  of  Joseph  Casner.  When  Rev. 
John  W,  Mears,  in  the  year  1850,  called  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Casner's 
mother  and  broached  the  organization  of  a  new  church,  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  city,  the  proposition  awakened  immediate  sym- 
pathy. How  the  attention  of  Mr,  Mears  was  drawn  to  Camden  is 
not  known.  The  lamentable  division  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
into  Old  and  New  School  had  occurred  little  more  than  ten  years 
previously,  and  the  reasons  which  had  wedged  the  body  asunder 
were  still  most  keenly  and  bitterly  cherished. 

The  division  had  been  overruled  of  God  to  a  marked  activity  in 
the  matter  of  church  extension.  Upon  the  18th  of  October,  1849, 
we  find  the  following  minute  recorded  upon  the  book  of  the  Fourth 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  :  "  The  attention  of  Presbytery  has  been 
called  to  several  desirable  locations  where  congregations  might  be 
gathered,  but  which  it  laments  that  the  prevailing  apathy  to  church 
extension  will  not  warrant  it  to  occupy.  Feeling  deeply  the  urgent 
need  of  the  presence  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  its  midst,  the  prayer  of 
Presbytery  would  be  'Awake,  oh!  North  wind,  and  come  thou 
South.     Blow  upon  my  garden  that  the  spices  thereof  may  flow 

*  Hand-book  of  the  Church. 


27 

out.' "  Camden  evidently  was  one  of  these  "  desirable  locations," 
for  upon  the  9th  of  October,  1850,  Mr.  Mears,  who  was  then  a 
licentiate  of  the  Association  of  the  Western  District  of  New  Haven 
County,  was  taken  under  care  of  Presbytery,  and  was  permitted  to 
make  a  statement  respecting  the  progress  of  Presbyterian  ism  in  this 
city,  and  to  present  a  request  from  the  congregation  worshiping 
here  to  be  organized  into  a  church.  The  visit  of  Mr.  Mears  had 
been  successful.  Preliminary  meetings,  in  the  interest  of  the  new 
enterprise,  had  been  held  in  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Robinson,  on  Line 
Street.  A  social  organization,  presumably  the  Sons  of  Temperance, 
rented  the  upper  room  of  this  dwelling,  and  in  this  "  upper  cham- 
ber "  the  first  services  were  held.  Subsequently,  and  up  to  the 
time  of  the  completion  of  their  church  edifice,  the  little  company  of 
worshipers  held  services  in  Washington  Hall. 

The  petition  for  full  organization  was  favorably  received  by 
Presbytery,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the 
feasibility  of  the  measure,  with  discretionary  power  to  act  in  the 
case.  Upon  the  28th  of  November  the  committee,  which  consisted 
of  Rev.  Drs.  Thomas  Brainerd,  E.  W.  Gilbert,  Joel  Parker,  Messrs. 
Albert  Barnes,  Robert  Adair,  and  Elders  Thomas  Fleming,  B.  B. 
Comegys,  and  John  A.  Stewart,  organized  a  church  of  sixteen 
members,  which,  upon  the  April  following,  was  regularly  enrolled 
upon  the  minutes  of  Presbytery  as  the  Central  Church  of  Camden. 
Of  the  sixteen  members,  Catherine  Casner,  Eliza  Casner,  Catherine 
Hunt,  Ann  Miller,  Ann  M.  Smith,  Priscilla  H.  Smith,  Sarah 
Brukley,  Joseph  Casner,  and  Benjamin  Hunt  had  been  connected 
with  the  First  Church,  and  Henry  King,  Elizabeth  King,  Caroline 
Frazier,  Hannah  Fairfowl,  Eunice  Harvard,  George  W.  Mears,  and 
A.  Lumm,  were  received  by  letter  from  different  churches  in  Phila- 
delphia. Benjamin  Hunt  and  Henry  King  were  elected  and 
inducted  into  the  eldership  of  the  new  church. 

Upon  the  1st  of  April,  1852,  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  after  the 
organization,  a  call  having  been  put  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Mears, 
he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church.  In  this  service 
the  Moderator,  Rev,  D.  C.  Meeker,  presided  and  proposed  the  con- 
stitutional questions ;  Rev.  George  Duffield,  Jr.,  preached  the 
sermon  and  charged  the  people ;  Rev.  Albert  Barnes  offered  the 


28 


ordaining  prayer,  and  E.  W.  Gilbert,  D.  D.,  charged  the  pastor. 
The  sermon  preached  by  Mr.  Mears  on  this  occasion,  as  a  trial 
piece,  was  from  Luke  5  :  4,  '^  Launch  out  into  the  deep,"  and  was 
long  remembered  as  an  eloquent  and  impressive  production. 

In  the  meantime  the  effort  to  erect  a  church  edifice  had  assumed 
a  practical  shape.  Upon  the  26th  of  May,  1851,  a  lot  of  ground 
one  hundred  feet  square,  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Hartman 
Streets,  Cooper  Hill,  now  Fourth  and  Clinton  Streets,  had  been 
purchased  from  Hartman  and  Ellen  Kuhn  for  $1,500,  subject  to 
a  mortgage  of  $1,250.  A  second  mortgage  of  $750  was  created 
upon  the  7th  of  September,  1852.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new 
building  was  laid  in  the  month  of  June,  1851,  Messrs.  Barnes, 
Braiuerd,  and  others  assisting  in  the  ceremony,  and  by  the  5th  of 


r^<-  \ 


THE  CENTRAL  PRESBYTERIAN  (n.  S.)  CHURCH,  OF  CAMDEN,  N.  J. 

November,  1852,  so  much  success  had  attended  the  effort  that  the 
session  of  the  church  felt  justified  in  taking  the  following  action  : 
"  Session  took  notice  of  the  fact  that  in  the  Providence  of  God  the 
church  edifice  had  recently  been  completed,  and  deem  it  a  matter 
of  devout  gratitude  to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  and  also 
recommend  that  special  thanksgiving  for  the  happy  results  of  our 
labors  and  abundant  answer  to  our  prayers,  be  rendered  by  the 
church  on  the  approaching  communion  season."  A  cut  of  the 
church,  and  the  following  description  taken  from  a  pamphlet  of 
that  day  furnish  a  fair  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the  building: 
*'This  is  a  beautiful  little  edifice,  constructed  entirely  of  wood  and 
of  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture.     Its  height  from  the  floor  to 


29 

the  peak  of  the  roof  is  28  feet.  The  dimensions  of  the  whole  area, 
principal  building  60x30  feet;  portico  7x11  feet;  semicircular  recess 
for  the  pulpit  8  feet  6  inches.  The  lecture-room  is  18x25  feet, 
communicating  with  the  main  building  and  capable,  if  necessary, 
of  being  thrown  into  one  department  with  it.  All  the  materials 
are  of  the  best  quality,  the  foundation  heavy,  and  the  walls  and 
roofing  substantial." 

Upon  the  following  April,  Presbytery  held  its  regular  spring 
meeting  in  the  new  building.  Rev.  Geo.  Duffield  opening  the  ses- 
sion with  a  sermon  from  Acts  2 :  43,  44. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Mears  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty- 
one  months,  although  his  connection  with  the  enterprise  had  lasted 
more  than  twice  as  long.  On  the  19th  of  January,  1854,  at  a  pro 
re  nata  meeting  of  Presbytery  held  at  the  Educational  Rooms,  216 
Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  at  his  own  request  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion was  dissolved,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Brainerd  appointed  to  mod- 
erate the  session  and  declare  the  pulpit  vacant.  The  growth,  in  the 
membership  had  been  discouraging.  Up  to  the  23d  of  October, 
1853,  when  the  sessional  record  abruptly  ends,  31  persons  had  been 
received  into  the  church,  28  by  certificate  and  3  upon  examination. 
During  the  same  period  one  had  died  and  fourteen  had  been  dis- 
missed. So  that,  at  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation,  the 
number  of  active  members  was  but  16,  precisely  the  same  number 
as  at  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  church.  The  removal  of 
one  of  the  elders  and  his  family  was  likewise  a  serious  loss.  The 
financial  outlook  was  bad.  A  heavy  debt  rested  upon  the  building, 
necessitating  the  issuing  of  a  printed  appeal  for  help,  from  which 
we  glean  the  following  facts  :  "  The  projectors  of  this  enterprise, 
who  have  labored  hard  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  design,  find 
themselves  about  one  thousand  dollars  behind-hand,  and  take  this 
method  of  presenting  the  cause  to  your  notice,  asking  your  assistance 
in  raising  the  above  amount."  All  these  facts  had  doubtless  their 
bearing  upon  the  decision  of  Mr.  Mears  to  seek  another  field,  and 
explain,  to  a  degree,  the  reason  which  led  to  the  ultimate  disband- 
ing of  the  church. 

Upon  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Mears  from  the  pastorate  the  pro- 
cess of  dissolution  was  very  rapid.     June   8th,  1854,  we   find 


30 

Presbytery,  at  a  meeting  held  in  Lombard  Street  Church,  suspend- 
ing its  regular  business  to  attend  to  the  interests  of  the  church  in 
Camden.  "  It  appeared  that  the  sura  of  $500  was  immediately 
and  imperatively  required  to  insure  the  progress  of  the  Camden 
Church.  Whereupon  it  was  resolved,  first :  That  assistance  should 
at  once  be  rendered  to  the  church  at  Camden,  especially  by  the 
churches  of  the  Presbytery  that  had  not  already  contributed  their 
due  proportion.  Second,  That  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Shepherd  and 
Darling  be  associated  with  Mr.  James  Dickson,  stated  supply  in 
said  church,  to  see  that  efficient  measures  are  taken  to  carry  the 
former  resolution  into  effect." 

At  the  regular  fall  meeting  of  Presbytery,  Mr.  Shepherd,  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  presented  a  report,  and  the  committee  was 
continued.  At  the  same  meeting  the  church  requested  to  have  its 
pulpit  supplied  by  Presbytery.  At  a  meeting  held  two  weeks 
later,  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  during  the  intervals  of  Synod,  appointments 
were  made  extending  to  November  26th.  Matters  seem  to  have 
reached  a  crisis  about  the  latter  date,  for,  upon  the  5th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1854,  Rev.  Robert  Adair  represented  to  Presbytery  the  con- 
dition of  the  Camden  Church,  "  whereupon  a  committee  of  three 
elders,  consisting  of  Messrs.  John  C.  Farr,  Robert  W.  Davenport, 
and  Israel  Ashmead,  were  appointed  to  act  in  the  case  as  they  may 
deem  expedient,  and  were  requested  to  confer  with  the  Rev.  Robert 
Adair  with  regard  to  the  affairs  of  said  church."  The  appointment 
of  the  committee  was  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  S.  D.  Button 
and  J.  H.  Fenton  had  been  instructed  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  church  to  wait  upon  Presbytery  and  inform  it  of  the  urgency 
of  the  case.  The  builder,  Samuel  H.  Morton,  had  issued  a  judg- 
ment against  the  church  for  $371.80,  the  property  had  been  adver- 
tised by  the  sheriff,  and  was  at  last  actually  exposed  and  bought  at 
public  sale,  for  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  $450,  subject  to 
the  mortgages  of  $2,000.  The  Camden  Board  of  Education  were 
the  purchasers.  The  church  was  transformed  into  a  public  school, 
and  with  the  growth  of  population  was  superseded  by  the  present 
building.  It  is  said  that  a  committee  of  Presbytery  came  over 
upon  the  day  of  sale  for  the  purpose  of  buying  the  property  in,  but 
they  reached  the  city  a  little  too  late  to  consummate  their  purpose. 


31 

Of  the  old  Central  Church  little  now  remains  except  the  name, 
which  still  clings  to  the  public  school  which  was  reared  upon  its 
ruins.  The  pulpit  Bible,  which  had  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Elder  King,  and  had  been  reverently  preserved  by  his  daughters 
as  a  priceless  memento  of  their  father's  faith,  was  presented  to  the 
pastor  of  the  Second  Church,  and  by  him  donated  to  the  Third 
Church  upon  the  day  of  the  dedication  of  their  building.  It  still 
speaks  the  same  messages  of  comfort  and  warning  which  it  was  wont 
to  utter  at  Fourth  and  Clinton  Streets.  The  bell  was  sold  to  Mount 
Moriah  Cemetery,  in  Philadelphia,  and  now  calls  together  a  larger 
congregation  than  ever  assembled  at  its  summons  in  Camden.  It  is 
a  strong  illustration  of  the  persistency  of  Divine  Grace,  or  of  what 
the  scientist  would  call  the  law  of  Heredity,  that  the  descendants 
of  the  little  company  who  constituted  the  Central  Church,  in  all 
instances  where  it  has  been  possible  to  trace  them,  reflect  the  pious 
spirit  of  their  ancestors.  Many  of  them,  it  is  true,  have  drifted 
into  other  denominations,  but  most  of  them  retain  their  allegiance 
to  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Some  of  them  are  the  most  active 
workers  in  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  churches  of  this  city,  and  a 
few  of  them  are  among  the  most  efficient  members  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church.  George  W.  Mears  became  a  prominent 
elder  in  a  Philadelphia  church,  and  J.  H.  Fentou  has  served  in 
the  same  capacity,  with  great  usefulness,  in  several  churches.  One 
of  the  lady  members  married  a  well-known  physician,  an  elder  of 
the  Tioga  Church,  and  so  the  illustrations  of  heredity  and  of  the 
permanent  and  potent  influence  of  the  Central  Church  might  be 
multiplied.  Of  the  Board  of  Trustees  the  names  of  Joseph  Cas- 
ner,  Benjamin  Hunt,  George  S.  Courtenay,  Jacob  Miller,  George 
W.  Mears,  S.  D.  Button,  J.  H.  Fenton,  J.  B.  Davis  have  alone 
been  preserved.  Messrs.  Courtenay  and  Mears  were  successively 
treasurer  of  the  church,  and  Mr.  Mears  for  a  long  time  acted  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.* 

The  Rev.  J.  W.  Mears,  D.  D.,  the  first  and  only  pastor  of  the 
Central  Church,  was  the  son  of  Henry  H.  and  Anna  B.  Birken- 

*  Minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  Fourth  ;  Minutes  of  the  Church  ; 
Fisler's  History  of  Camden;  Communication  from  Mrs.  Denning;  local  memo- 
randa. 


32 

bine  Mears,  aud  was  born  in  Reading,  Pa.,  August  10th,  1825. 
He  received  his  collegiate  education  at  Delaware  College,  graduat- 
ing at  the  head  of  his  class  in  1842.  For  four  years  he  studied 
theology  at  Yale.  He  was  ordained  and  installed  over  the  Central 
Church  in  1852.  For  several  years  he  was  engaged  in  pastoral 
work  chiefly  at  Milford,  Del.,  and  Elkton,  Md.  He  then  assumed 
the  editorship  of  the  American  Presbyterian,  relinquishing  that 
position  iu  1871  to  take  the  Albert  Barnes  Professorship  of  Intel- 
lectual and  Moral  Philosophy  in  Hamilton  College,  N.  Y.  In 
this  position  he  continued  until  the  day  of  his  death.  He  was 
always  an  active  worker  in  the  cause  of  reform.  Early  in  1858 
he  instituted  a  movement  against  the  infamous  Oneida  community, 
whose  headquarters  were  near  the  College  town.  He  secured  at 
first  the  appointment  of  a  committee  by  the  Presbytery  of  Uticato 
inquire  into  the  social  relations  of  the  members  of  the  community, 
and  soon  enlisted  the  co-operation  of  Bishops  Huntington,  of  the 
Episcopal,  and  Peck,  of  the  Methodist  churches,  and  other  clergy- 
men of  different  denominations.  The  movement  was  prosecuted 
with  so  much  vigor  that  in  August,  1879,  the  complex  marriage 
system  and  other  objectionable  features  were  formally  abolished  by 
the  Oneida  communists. 

Mr.  Mears  died  at  Clinton,  N.  Y.,  November  10th,  1881,  iu 
the  56th  year  of  his  age.  He  had  fallen  from  his  chair  in  the 
class-room  in  violent  convulsions,  and  had  lingered  for  a  few  days 
in  a  semi-unconscious  condition,  when  the  summons  came.  A  few 
weeks  before  his  death  he  had  written  to  his  mother,  "  I  now  start 
upon  a  new  decade  of  my  life  work.  Ten  years  I  spent  in  pre- 
paring for  the  ministry,  ten  years  I  preached,  ten  years  edited  the 
American  Presbyterian,  and  ten  years  have  been  teaching  at  Hamil- 
ton. I  wonder  what  the  Lord  has  in  store  for  me  in  the  next  ten 
years."  He  little  thought  that  the  next  ten  years  would  be  spent 
where  God's  servants  "  serve  Him  and  see  His  face."  He  was  the 
author  of  several  publications  mostly  of  an  historical  character.  The 
"  Story  of  Madagascar,"  "  Martyrs  of  France,"  "  Heroes  of  Bohemia/' 
"From  Exile  to  Overthrow,"  and  "  Beggars  of  Holland  "and  "Gran- 
dees of  Spain"  have  been  published  by  the  Presbyterian  Board.* 

*The  Presbyterian.  • 


33 


THE  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  history  of  Presbyterianism  in  Camden  is  the  history  of  a 
straggle.  The  two  churches  which  for  many  years  have  exercised 
a  commanding  influence  over  the  interests  of  the  denomination  in 
this  city  have  each  sprung,  phoenix-like,  from  the  ashes  of  an 
earlier  organization.  The  present  First  Church,  as  has  been  shown, 
is  the  lineal  successor  of  a  previous  one  ;  and  the  Second  Church 
occupies  the  territory  of  old  pre-empted  by  the  Central  Church. 
Indeed  not  more  than  five  years  had  elapsed  after  the  latter  had 
disbanded,  before  the  first  edifice  of  the  Second  Church  had  been 
erected  within  two  squares  of  the  site  upon  which  the  Central  had 
stood.  It  has  been  said  that  it  is  hard  to  kill  a  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  the  statement  finds  an  effective  illustration  in  the  two 
seemingly  premature  attempts  to  plant  the  blue  banner  of  the 
Covenant  upon  Camden  soil.  One  scarcely  knows  which  were 
better,  to  applaud  the  courage  of  the  little  company  of  Presbyter- 
ians who  so  well  exemplified  their  own  doctrine  of  Perseverance, 
or  to  conjecture  how  much  larger  the  possible  results  of  their  en- 
terprise might  have  been,  if  the  two  earlier  efforts  had  not  suffered 
from  four  or  five  years  of  suspended  animation. 

The  Second  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  on  the  1st  of 
March,  1860,  and,  to  use  the  language  of  its  first  pastor,  "was 
launched  into  being  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  First  Church, 
being  born,  not  as  new  churches  sometimes  are,  out  of  disaffection 
or  controversy,  but  out  of  love  for  the  Master  and  for  the  exten- 
sion of  His  kingdom."  In  the  year  1859  Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  Stew- 
art, pastor  of  the  First  Church,-  urged  upon  his  people  the  import- 
ance of  forming  another  Presbyterian  Church  to  meet  the  growing 
necessities  of  the  city.  A  meeting  for  this  purpose  was  called  for 
March  23d,  1859,  at  which  a  committee  composed  of  Isaac  Van 
Horn,  Thomas  McKeeu,  James  H.  Stevens,  George  W.  Carpenter, 
Sr.,  and  Gilbert  Bulson,  was  appointed  "  to  seek  out  and  secure 
one  or  more  sites  of  church  edifices  in  suitable  location,  and  in  the 
event  of  finding  such  location,  to  erect  a  temporary  edifice  for  the 
purpose  of  worship  and  Sabbath-school  instruction."  This  commit- 
tee, through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Van  Horn,  purchased  from  E. 
3 


34 

A.  Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  four  lots  of  ground  situated  at  the 
corner  of  Fourth  and  Washington  Streets,  Mr.  Stevens  donating 
$800  of  the  purchase-money.  These  lots  were  afterward  exchanged 
for  the  lots  upon  the  upper  side  of  the  same  square,  at  Fourth  and 
Benson  Streets,  the  site  of  the  present  church,  where  a  chapel  was 


SECOND  PRESBYTfciUA-N  i^iii^  ic<_ii,  ui' 


■^iiUWlNG  OLD  CHAPEL. 


built  at  a  cost  of  $1 ,900,  the  money  having  been  contributed  mainly 
by  members  of  the  First  Church.  Dr.  Stewart,  with  characteristic 
liberality,  headed  the  subscription  list  with  $300.  At  the  next 
congregational  meeting,  upon  recommendation  of  the  committee, 
the  whole  property  was  deeded  to  the  "  Trustees  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church." 


35 

The  Presbytery  of  Burlington  met  in  the  chapel  March  1st,  1860, 
and  organized  the  church  with  a  membership  of  20  persons,  viz. : 
Robert  Barber,  Thomas  F.  Lambson,  Isaac  Van  Horn,  James 
Good,  Thomas  McKeen,  Emily  Barber,  Agnes  Lambson,  Annie  E. 
Le  Chevalier,  Sarah  J.  McKeen,  Mary  Ann  Tourtelot,  Mary  A. 
Van  Horn,  Henrietta  Smith,  Jane  Marshall,  Sarah  L.  Clark, 
Elizabeth  Van  Horn,  Annie  E.  Clark,  Nancy  A.  Hoxie,  Marga- 
retta  Lambson,  Selina  O.  Tourtelot,  Annie  E.  Van  Horn.  Upon 
the  same  day  Rev.  Lewis  C.  Baker  was  called,  ordained,  and  in- 
stalled as  pastor  of  the  Church.  Isaac  Van  Horn  and  Robert 
Barber  were  set  apart  to  the  office  of  the  eldership,  and  Isaac  Van 
Horn,  Thomas  McKeen,  Cyrus  Kellog,  James  Good,  Thomas  F. 
Lambson,  James  C.  Wright,  and  J.  L.  Prentiss  were  constituted 
the  first  board  of  trustees.  In  the  installation  of  Mr.  Baker,  Dr. 
Henry  Perkins  presided  and  put  the  constitutional  questions ;  Dr. 
Stewart  preached  the  sermon  from  1  Cor.  2  :  21 ;  Rev.  Samuel  Miller 
delivered  the  charge  to  the  pastor,  and  the  moderator  performed 
the  same  duty  for  the  people. 

The  wisdom  of  the  new  enterprise,  and  the  advantages  of  its 
location,  soon  manifested  themselves  in  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Sab- 
bath-school and  congregation.  The  chapel  was  often  uncomforta- 
bly crowded,  and  the  need  of  better  accommodations  began  to  be 
more  and  more  felt.  To  form  the  nucleus  of  a  new  building  fund, 
Messrs.  Van  Horn  and  McKeen  fenced  in  the  square  of  ground 
lying  between  Washington  and  Berkley,  and  Third  and  Fourth 
Streets,  and  converted  the  inclosure  into  a  skating  park.  It  serves 
to  show  the  marked  change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  topog- 
raphy of  Camden,  and  also  in  the  character  of  its  winters,  that  only 
twenty -five  years  ago  this  large  square  of  ground,  now  covered  by 
rows  of  dwelling-houses,  was  flooded  by  the  backing  of  tide-water 
up  a  small  stream,  which  flowed  through  its  midst,  and  that  the 
severity  of  the  season  kept  the  water  ice-bound,  and  in  prime  con- 
dition for  skating,  for  a  period  of  nearly  seven  weeks. 

From  this  novel  expedient  eighteen  hundred  dollars  were  realized, 
with  which,  as  a  basis,  Mr.  Baker  in  1864,  agitated  the  erection  of 
a  new  church.  A  plan  was  accordingly  procured  from  S.  D.  Button, 
architect,  and  in  April,  1865,  it  was  resolved  to  begin  the  work. 


36 

Isaac  Van  Horn  and  Thomas  McKeen  were  appointed  a  building 
committee,  with  the  pastor  as  an  advisory  member.  The  sudden 
and  lamented  death  of  Mr.  Van  Horn,  before  the  completion  of  the 
building,  necessitated  the  addition  of  his  son,F.  C.  Van  Horn,  and 
S.  L.  Stimson  to  the  committee.  The  building  was  roofed  in  during 
the  summer  of  1865,  and  upon  the  first  Sabbath  of  September,  1866, 
was  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  worship  of  Almighty  God.  In  the 
dedication  services  the  First  Church  united,  its  former  pastor,  Dr. 
Stewart,  and  W.  C  Cattell,  D.  D.,  president  of  Lafayette  College, 
taking  a  prominent  part.  The  cost  of  the  building  was  about 
$19,000. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Baker  extended  over  a  period  of  more  than 
twenty-two  years.  Upon  the  1st  of  November,  1882,  his  long 
and  faithful  term  of  service  ended,  the  relation  existing  between 
him  and  his  charge  having  been  dissolved  at  his  own  request. 
Laboring  side  by  side  with  the  pastor  of  the  First  Church  for 
more  than  a  score  of  years,  he  helped  to  lift  the  Presby- 
terian pulpit  of  this  city  to  a  niche  in  the  esteem  of  the  community 
which  it  is  to  be  hoped  it  may  long  continue  to  fill.  His  kindly  and 
beneficent  spirit  not  only  entrenched  him  deeply  in  the  affections 
of  his  own  people,  but  gave  him  a  warm  and  lasting  place  in 
the  hearts  of  many  who  were  not  numbered  in  his  congregation, 
and  who  yet  arise  and  call  his  ministry  and  his  memory  blessed. 

Mr.  Baker  is  the  son  of  Elihu  Baker,  for  many  years  cashier  of 
the  Matawan  Bank,  and  Joanna  Carter  Baker.  He  was  born  in 
Matawan  and  resided  in  that  village  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  1846  he  went  to  Chicago  to  be  trained  for  a  business  life. 
In  18  48  he  united  with  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chicago, 
of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  R.  W.  Patterson  was  then  the  pastor,  and  in 
which  his  father,  after  his  removal  to  that  city,  became  an  elder. 
In  1851  he  entered  Princeton  College  and  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution at  the  head  of  his  class  in  1854.  After  teaching  Latin 
and  Greek  for  one  year  at  Beloit  College,  Wisconsin,  he  began  the 
study  of  theology  in  Princeton  Seminary,  graduating  in  1858.  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presbytery  of  Passaic  in  April,  1857, 
as  was  also  his  room-mate,  Rev.  W.  C.  Roberts,  the  last  Moderator 
of  the  General  Assembly.     During  the  vacation  following,    they 


37 

together  supplied  the  Third  Church  at  Trenton,  until  the  opening 
of  the  seminary  session.  After  graduation  he  preached  during  the 
summer  months  at  Freehold,  was  called  to  the  church  of  Martins- 
burg,  Va.,  but  preferred  accepting  the  position  of  temporary  supply 
at  the  First  Churcli  of  Camden,  with  the  understanding  that  a 
Second  church  would  soon  be  formed.  When  the  church  was  or- 
ganized March  1st,  1860,  he  was  ordained  and  installed  as  its  first 
pastor,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  November  1st,  1882.  In 
the  following  year  he  removed  to  Philadelphia  to  enter  upon 
literary  and  editorial  work. 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  the  friends  of  Mr.  Baker  to  indicate  the 
steps  which  led  to  the  sundering  of  his  connection  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey 
held  at  Daretown,  1885,  he  introduced  an  overture,  requesting  the 
General  Assembly  to  appoint  a  Committee  to  examine  the  eschato- 
logical  sections  in  the  Confession  of  Faith  with  a  view  to  their  re- 
vision. This  was  the  first  movement  within  the  Church  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  agitation  which  has  since  come  upon  it.  The  over- 
ture was  put  upon  the  docket  for  the  fall  meeting.  When  the 
matter  came  up  for  discussion  at  Haddonfield,  it  failed  of  adoption, 
only  five  persons  voting  in  its  favor.  Many  adverse  criticisms 
having  been  awakened  by  the  overture,  and  likewise  by  the  eschato- 
logical  views  which  Mr.  Baker  was  promulgating  in  his  magazine, 
he  felt  at  last  constrained  to  ask  the  advice  of  Presbytery  at  its 
spring  session  in  1886  :  First,  as  to  the  right  of  a  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  who  was  convinced  that  certain  of  its  Con- 
fessional statements  were  without  warrant  of  Scripture,  to  agitate 
the  Church  upon  the  question  and  to  labor  for  their  correction  and 
removal.  Second,  whether  in  the  teaching  of  his  magazine  he  had 
transcended  his  rights  and  duties  as  a  minister  of  the  Church. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  him,  who  reported,  that 
if  he  were  content  to  hold  the  views  which  he  had  been  teaching, 
privately,  his  relation  to  the  Presbytery  need  not  be  disturbed,  but 
if  he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  continue  to  raise  these  questions  in  the 
Church,  they  did  not  think  it  would  be  consistent  for  him  to  retain 
his  standing  in  it.  Believing  that  his  ordination  vows  to  study  the 
peace  and  purity  of  the  Church  required  him  to  continue  the  agita- 


38 

tion,  he  could  not  promise  to  be  silent.  The  result  was  that,  after 
repeated  discussions  over  the  report  in  Presbytery,  and  its  final 
adoption  at  the  meeting  in  April,  1888,  he  felt  constrained  to  resign 
his  ministry  in  the  Church.  He  has  since  become  a  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 

He  is  the  author  of  a  volume  of  discourses  on  the  "  Mystery  of 
Creation  and  of  Man."  He  has  also  published  a  series  of  Scriptural 
studies,  designed  to  prove  the  Redemptive  character  of  Resurrec- 
tion, under  the  title,  "  The  Fire  of  God's  Anger,  or  Light  from  the 
Old  Testament  teaching  concerning  Future  Punishment."  Since 
1885  he  has  edited  the  magazine.  Words  of  Reconciliation. 

The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  William  Boyd,  who  was  installed 
May  2d,  1883.  During  his  ministry  the  church  property  has  been 
renovated  and  greatly  improved ;  a  beautiful  and  well-appointed 
chapel,  valued  at  $10,000,  has  been  built  upon  the  site  of  the 
old  chapel;  two  missions  have  been  founded,  one  of  which  has 
grown  into  the  Third  Church,  and  four  hundred  members  have 
been  added  to  the  roll. 

The  officers  of  the  church  from  the  beginning  have  been :  Elders — 
Isaac  Van  Horn,  Robert  Barber,  Solomon  L.  Stimson,  Judge 
George  S.  Woodhull,  William  Campbell,  Alexander  Marcy,  M.  D., 
James  Berry,  Reuben  F.  Bancroft,  John  Callahan,  Benjamin  O. 
Titus,  David  B.  Riggs,  John  Warnock,  Daniel  Donehoo. 

Deacons — George  W.  Carpenter,  Jr.,  George  E.  Howes,  Alfred 
M.  Heston,  David  B.  Riggs,  Daniel  Donehoo,  Francis  T.  Lloyd, 
J.  H.  Trontman,  Valentine  S.  Campbell,  Clarence  B.  Yardley, 
Edwin  S.  Titus,  and  S.  H.  Sargent. 

The  Sabbath-school  Superintendents  have  been  Judge  Woodh nil, 
William  Getty,  James  Berry,  S.  Bryan  Smith,  William  H.  Ban- 
croft, John  Callahan,  and  Daniel  R.  Rosston. 

Trustees — Isaac  Van  Horn,  Thomas  McKeen,  Cyrus  Kellog, 
James  Good,  Thomas  F.  Lambson,  James  C.  Wright,  J.  L,  Pren- 
tiss, Samuel  Harris,  Thomas  H.  Lambson,  Samuel  B.  Smith, 
George  S.  Woodhull,  Alexander  Marcy,  M.  D.,  S.  L.  Stimson, 
George  E.  Howes,  F.  C.  Van  Horn,  Andrew  Heath,  George  W. 
Carpenter,  Jr.,  John  G.  Miller,  James  Maguire,  James  Gettyj  Rodol- 
phus  Bingham,  William  Campbell,  Alex.  M.  Mecray,  M.  D.,  Wallace 


39 


SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  OF  CAMDEN,  N.  J.,  SHOWING  NEW  CHAPEIi. 


40 

M.  Smith,  James  Berry,  Henry  J.  Yanuxem,  R.  F.  S.  Heath,  B. 
O.  Titus,  John  Callahan,  Frank  A.  Fenton,  Alfred  M.Heston,  D. 
R.  Griffiths,  Daniel  Donehoo,  David  B.  Riggs,  Charles  A.  Cham- 
berlain, S.  Bryan  Smith,  M.  D.,  Christopher  A.  Bergen,  John 
Warnock,  S.  A.  Sargent,  William  T.  Waters,  J.  H.  Troutman, 
Theodore  B.  Culver,  Lewis  H.  Archer,  George  P.  J.  Poole,  W.  W. 
Davidson,  Clarence  B.  Yardley.* 


THE  THIRD  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

is  a  colony  of  the  Second  Church.  In  the  latter  part  of  October, 
1883,  Mr.  Boyd  convened  a  meeting  of  the  Presbyterians  of  South 
Camden  at  the  house  of  Donald  McCallum,  at  which  the  question 


THIRD  PKESBYTEBIAN  CHURCH,  OF  CAMDEN,  N.  J. 

of  opening  a  mission  school  was  considered.  As  a  result  of  their 
deliberations  the  meeting  appointed  a  committee  to  engage  Danen- 
hower's  Hall,  Broadway,  below  Kaighn  Avenue,  and  to  make  all 
arrangements  for  beginning  the  work.  A  Sabbath-school  of  forty- 
five  members  was  organized  November  4th,  1883,  and  Mr.  B.  O. 
Titus  was  elected  its  first  superintendent.  Cottage  prayer-meetings 
were  held  every  Thursday  night,  and  preaching  once  a  month,  both 
services  being  conducted  by  Mr.  Boyd,  as  long  as  the  school 
remained  in  the  hall.     In  the  summer  of  1885  three  lots  of  ground, 

*  Minutes  of  Church  ;  "  Historical  Discourse,"  by  Rev.  L.  C.  Baker. 


41 

situated  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Atlantic  Avenue,  were 
purchased  from  Adolpli  Foster  and  a  neat  chapel  erected,  tiie 
property  costing  about  $1,800.  At  the  dedication  of  the 
building,  which  occurred  upon  the  afternoon  of  September 
27th,  1885  (the  forty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  organization 
of  the  old  First  Church),  the  pastors  and  sessions  of  the  First  and 
Second  Churches  were  present  to  mingle  their  thanksgivings  over 
the  first  substantial  effort  to  extend  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Camden  within  a  period  of  twenty-three  years.  In  the  summer  of 
1887,  D.  Scott  Clark,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  Seminary,  and  a 
licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  Central,  took  charge  of 
the  young  enterprise.  A  church  of  sixty-two  members  was  organ- 
ized February  16th,  1888,  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Revs.  Wm. 
Bannard,  M.  A.  Brownson,  F.  D.  Harris,  and  Elders  John  Calla- 
han and  William  Fewsmith,  with  Mr.  Boyd  as  chairman.  The 
sessions  of  the  First  and  Second  Churches  were  again  present  and 
assisted  in  the  services.  Wm.  Mitchell,  Edwin  H.  Miller,  George 
Belz,  and  William  H,  Woodruff  were  elected  and  ordained  as  elders 
of  the  new  organization.  Upon  the  20th  of  September,  1888,  Rev. 
James  B.  McCool  was  elected  pastor,  and  subsequently  installed 
over  the  church.  After  a  year  of  labor  he  resigned  his  charge  No- 
vember 1st,  1889.  Since  this  date  the  pulpit  has  been  supplied  by 
different  ministers.  The  church  hopes  to  be  able  soon  to  secure  a 
regular  pastor. 

Rev.  Mr.  McCool,  the  first  pastor,  received  his  theological  train- 
ing in  the  seminary  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
Philadelphia.  He  was  pastor  for  one  year  of  the  German  Street 
Church,  of  Philadelphia,  and  for  about  two  years  pastor  of  the 
church  at  Kingston,  N.  J.,  before  taking  charge  of  the  Third 
Church  of  Camden.     He  is  now  laboring  in  Nevada. 

The  names  of  the  sixty-two  constituent  members  of  the  Church 
are :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Belz,  Bella  Buchanan,  John  Berry- 
man,  Louise  Buckley,  W.  J.  Cross,  Effie  A.  Crowell,  Mrs.  Johanna 
Davis,  Laura  Davis,  Anna  Davis,  James  Dunlop,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  A.  Green,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Geddes,  Flora  Humph- 
rey, Mrs.  Salome  Hoag,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  F.  Lacy,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wm.  Mitchell,  Jennie  S.,  Mary  H.,  and  Sophie  Mitchell, 


42 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donald  McCalliim,  Bella  McCallum,  Susan  Mac- 
Lean,  Edwin  H.  Miller,  Lucy  McCullough,  Robena  Rutherford, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  Roop,  Sarah  J.  Raif,  Mrs.  Anna  Schoeperkotter, 
Lorana  Smith,  Chas.  W.  M.  Sommers,  Mrs.  Sarah  Sidebottom, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Slayden,  Isabella  Scarborough,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James  Tough,  John  M.  Tough,  Martha  Tyson,  Mary  E. 
Taylor,  Mrs.  Catherine  Young,  Maud  E.  and  Theodora  Wyckoff, 
William  L.  Woodruff,  Andrew  Rutherford,  Mary  E.  Smith,  Mrs. 
C.  Siers,  Bertie  Siers,  Agnes  Tough,  and  Annie  Thompson,  To 
this  number  may  be  added  the  names  of  Elizabeth  M.  Long,  Mrs. 
Chas.  W.  M.  Sommers,  Alexander  Smyth,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dr.  R. 
Given  Taylor,  and  Sallie  and  Jennie  Warnock,  all  of  whom 
united  with  the  Church  three  weeks  after  its  organization. 

The  Superintendents  of  the  Sunday-school  have  been  B.  O. 
Titus,  William  Long,  Harry  L.  Maguire,  Edwin  H.  Miller,  J.  B. 
McCool,  Schuyler  C.  Woodhull;  and  the  Trustees  of  the  church, 
William  Mitchell,  George Belz,  John  Tough,  James  Tough,  James 
Henderson,  Wm.  H.  Reagle,  Wm.  H.  Woodruff,  Willard  H.  Hol- 
ten,  and  Andrew  Rutherford. 

THE  CENTRAL  PRESBYTERIAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL 

was  organized  by  Rev.  M.  A.  Brownson,  as  a  mission  of  the 
First  Church  in  the  dwelling-house,  840  Federal  Street, 
May  9th,  1886.  Its  first  superintendent  was  Thomas  S. 
Collins,  who  resigned  June  13th,  1886,  and  was  succeeded  by 
W.  J.  Searle,  who  filled  the  position  until  October  30th,  1887. 
Having  outgrown  the  house  in  which  it  was  cradled,  it  took  pos- 
session of  its  present  beautiful  building  in  the  month  of  July 
last.  A  well-located  lot  at  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Cooper 
had  been  purchased  for  $4,400,  aud  a  chapel  erected  at  a  cost  of 
nearly  $3,000.  The  building  was  dedicated  September  28th, 
1890  (the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the  Old  First 
Church),  in  the  presence  of  a  large  audience.  The  chapel  is 
admirably  situated  for  large  and  rapid  growth  and  will  soon 
require  an  addition  to  accommodate  the  increasing  population  of 
that  part  of  the  city.     The  present  efficient  superintendent  of  the 


43 

school  is  R.  G.  Haun.  William  J.  Searle  is  assistant  superin- 
tendent, and  Frederick  Smith  is  secretary  and  treasurer.  The 
school  numbers  169  teachers  and  scholars. 

THE  KNOX  PRESBYTERIAN  MISSION. 

At  the  invitation  of  the  Synodical  Missionary,  Rev.  Allen  H. 
Brown,  Rev.  Isaac  W.  Davenport  visited  Camden  in  the  mouth 
of  May,  1886,  and  under  the  supervision  of  the  pastor  of  the 
Second  Church  began  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  colored  popula- 
tion. A  report  of  Mr.  Davenport's  labors  was  presented  to  Pres- 
bytery June  28th,  1886,  and  a  committee  was  thereupon  appointed 
to  start  a  mission  among  the  colored  people,  if  the  way  seemed 
clear.  The  committee  consisted  of  Elders  G.  R.  Vogels,  of  the 
First  Church  ;  B.  O.  Titus,  of  the  Second  Church,  and  Rev.  M. 
A.  Brownson,  with  Rev.  William  Boyd  as  chairman.  The  com- 
mittee held  several  meetings  and,  after  a  full  discussion  of  the 
situation,  concluded  to  start  a  mission  at  Danenhower's  Hall, 
Broadway  below  Kaighn  Avenue.  The  first  service  was  held 
August  1st,  1886,  Mr.  Davenport  preaching  the  opening  sermon 
to  a  fair-sized  congregation.  From  that  date  until  May,  1888, 
when  his  term  of  service  ended,  Mr.  Davenport  labored  with  great 
fidelity.  Starting  with  less  than  nothing — for  the  movement  met 
with  little  sympathy  in  many  quarters  and  even  his  warmest  coad- 
jutors considered  the  project  as  tentative — he  preached  regularly 
Sabbath  morning  and  evening,  gathered  together  a  Sabbath-school 
of  fifteen  scholars,  which  gradually  increased  to  sixty-two,  and 
maintained  a  training  school  in  vocal  music  every  Saturday  after- 
noon and  Wednesday  evening.  In  his  canvass  of  the  city  he  found 
in  all  five  families,  representing  seventeen  souls,  of  the  Presbyterian 
faith.  In  addition  to  these  families,  there  were  three  Presbyterian 
ladies  permanently  located  here,  and  persons  of  other  religious 
connection,  who  favored  the  organization  of  a  church.  Had  a 
church  been  constituted  it  would  have  enrolled  upwards  of  thirty 
members  at  its  beginning,  a  larger  number  than  entered  into  the 
formation  of  the  First  or  Second  Churches.  During  the  two  years 
of  his  relation  to  the  work  Mr.  Davenport  distributed  over  three 


44 

thousand  tracts  and  religious  papers,  baptized  ten  infants,  and  re- 
ceived three  persons  into  the  church  upon  profession  of  their 
faith.  In  addition  to  this  he  succeeded  in  raising  money  enough 
to  meet  all  running  expenses,  the  entire  amount  expended  upon 
the  field,  until  his  labors  ended,  being  $1,334.71,  of  which  sum 
Presbytery  had  appropriated  $700.  Mr.  Davenport  had  done  a 
more  encouraging  work  for  his  people  than  he  or  the  committee 
knew,  until  it  was  too  late  to  save  the  enterprise  or  the  man  who 
had  nursed  and  cherished  it.  The  demands  upon  the  missionary 
fund  of  Presbytery  were  so  great,  that  it  did  not  feel  justified  in 
longer  continuing  to  support  the  mission,  and  Mr.  Davenport 
withdrew  to  take  charge  of  a  Congregational  Church  in  Newark. 
The  work  among  the  colored  people  of  Camden  was  referred  to  the 
First  and  Second  Churches,  joint  meetings  of  the  two  sessions  were 
held,  and  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Mr.  Reuben  F.  Bancroft, 
who  had  taken  the  place  of  B.  O.  Titus  upon  the  committee,  and  who 
had  always  been  the  warmest  friend  of  the  enterprise,  the  mission 
was  continued  for  six  months  longer.  A  colporteur  of  the  Board 
of  Publication  was  placed  upon  the  field,  the  churches  holding 
themselves  responsible  for  half  his  salary,  the  other  half  being 
guaranteed  by  the  board.  At  the  end  of  the  six  months  the  work 
was  sorrowfully  abandoned  and  the  school  languished  and  died  in 
the  hope  of  an  early  and  joyous  resurrection. 

Fifty  years  ago  a  Presbyterian  Church  was  planted  in  this  town. 
Two  years  later  it  perished.  To-day  the  seemingly  abortive  effort 
has  blossomed  into  a  strong  and  vigorous  church.  Fifty  years 
from  now,  if  the  world  shall  last  that  long,  a  strong  and  self-sus- 
taining colored  church  will  stand  upon  the  ruins  of  the  Knox 
Presbyterian  Mission,  and  perpetuate  and  bless  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Davenport  and  his  consecrated  band  of  Sabbath-school  teachers. 
For  so  history  repeats  itself.  When  Giles  Manwaring  canvassed 
the  white  population  of  Camden  forty  years  ago,  he  could  only  find 
two  Presbyterian  families.  Five  years  ago  there  were  five  colored 
families  of  intelligence,  respectability,  and  refinement,  in  our  city. 
In  these  families  were  two  well-known  educators  and  one  elder. 

The  officers  of  the  Knox  Sunday-school  were  T.  C.  Hinson, 
Superintendent ;  Henry  Boyer,  Assistant  Superintendent ;  B.  An- 


45 

derson,  Secretary ;  J.  R.  Warner,  Infant-school  Superintendent ; 
Miss  H.  G.  Sylva,  Treasurer ;  Messrs.  Arthur  Boyer  and  George 
Hinson,  Librarians. 

Rev.  Isaac  W.  Davenport,  whose  name  is  so  closely  associated  with 
this  enterprise,  is  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Ann  Davenport,  and  a 
native  of  West  Virginia.  His  father  was  born  in  slavery,  but, 
receiving  his  freedom,  removed  his  family  to  the  District  of  Col- 
umbia, where  his  children  received  a  common-school  education. 
Entering  Lincoln  University,  Mr.  Davenport  graduated  from  the 
Art  Department  of  that  institution  in  1872,  and  from  the  Theo- 
logical Department  in  1875.  During  his  stay  at  Lincoln  he  united 
with  the  Ashman  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  elected  to  its  elder- 
ship, serving  in  that  office  until  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the 
gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Chester. 

He  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  Georgia  and  Maryland, 
preached  for  a  time  in  the  Concord  Church,  of  Danville,  Ky.,  and 
tlien  accepted  a  call  to  the  Elder  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  where  he  labored  for  two  years  with  much  suc- 
cess, and  was  greatly  beloved.  Receiving  a  call  from  the  Plain 
Street  Church,  of  Newark,  he  resigned  his  Harrisburg  charge 
March  15th,  1877.  During  his  pastorate  of  eight  years  and  a-half 
in  Newark,  he  received  into  church  fellowship  one  hundred  and 
five  persons,  ten  by  certificate  and  ninety-five  upon  profession  of 
faith.  Resigning  the  Plain  Street  Church  he  came  to  Camden, 
and  after  two  years  of  faithful  service  in  this  city  went  back  to 
Newark  to  accept  a  call  to  the  Third  Congregational  Church  of 
that  city.  He  still  ministers  to  this  congregation  with  marked 
acceptance,  forty  peisons  having  united  with  this  church  under 
his  ministry. 

LIBERTY  PARK  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  German  Church  at  Liberty  Park  had  its  inception  in  the 
corridor  of  a  hotel  in  Denver,  Colorado.  The  pastor  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church  had  the  honor  of  representing  his  Presbytery  in  the 
General  Assembly  which  met  at  Omaha  in  the  spring  of  1887.  In 
company  with  a  number  of  the  delegates  he  took  a  trip  farther 


46 

West.  In  the  course  of  a  conversation  with  Rev.  John  Riclielsen, 
of  the  Corinthian  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Philadelphia, 
upon  work  among  the  Germans,  the  attention  of  that  gentleman 
was  called  to  Camden  as  a  field  for  such  evangelistic  effort.  As 
a  result  of  the  conversation,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Schwarzbach  visited 
this  city  in  the  month  of  October,  1887,  interviewed  the  pastor  of 
the  Second  Church,  and  was  referred  by  him  to  Mr.  Brownson. 
After  several  conferences,  and  with  some  misgivings  as  to  the  prac- 
ticability of  the  step,  the  enterprise  was  finally  begun.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  great  faith  and  indomitable  perseverance  of  Mr. 
Schwarzbach  the  mission  would  have  come  to  an  untimely  birth. 
Obtaining  the  use  of  Liberty  Park  Hall,  he  opened  a  series  of 
services  in  the  German  language,  which  lasted  for  nearly  a  year. 
In  the  month  of  December,  1888,  he  undertook  the  erection  of  a 
building.  E.  N.  Cohn  generously  donated  a  lot  of  ground  20x90, 
two  other  lots  of  the  same  size  were  purchased  below  their  selling 
price,  and  on  the  3d  of  March,  1889,  the  cozy  little  chapel  was 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God. 

In  the  meantime  a  petition  had  been  presented  to  Presbytery  for 
the  organization  of  a  church.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  carry 
the  desire  of  the  petitioners  into  effect  if  the  way  seemed  clear. 
The  committee  met  at  the  house  of  Adam  Hartmeyer,  January 
22d,  1889,  and  constituted  a  church  of  17  members.  The  names 
of  these  members  were,  William  Schliephake,  Anna  Schliephake, 
William  Kurz,  Philippine  Kurz,  Henry  Juengling,  Adam  Hart- 
meyer, Katherine  Hartmeyer,  Clara  Hartmeyer,  Frederick  Hart- 
meyer, Henry  Werner,  Christine  Werner,  Jacob  Christi,  Mary 
Weyland,  Louisa  Leckleidner,  Anna  M.  Kanz,  Sussane  Hebel, 
Pauline  C.  Schwarzbach.  Messrs.  William  Schliephake  and  William 
Kurz  were  elected  and  ordained  elders.  In  the  religious  exercises 
which  were  held  Messrs.  Brownson,  Brace,  Boyd,  Brown,  Schnatz, 
and  Elder  George  Belz  took  part.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
committee  to  have  organized  the  church  in  the  Liberty  Park  Hall, 
where  worship  had  been  statedly  conducted,  but  when  they  reached 
the  ground,  they  found  the  building  pre-occupied  by  some  "  Sons 
of  Belial,"  who  were  engaged  in  a  sparring  match.  Sundry  evi- 
dences of  their  prowess,  in  the  shape  of  bloody  handkerchiefs,  had 


47 


^1 


LIBERTY   PARK   PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,   OF  CAMDEN,   N.   J. 


48 

been  found  beneath  the  pulpit  upon  the  preceding  Sabbath,  to  the 
mystification  of  the  preacher.  The  mystery  was  cleared  up  when 
the  committee  knocked  imperatively  upon  the  door,  and  in  answer 
to  the  summons  the  bolt  was  cautiously  withdrawn  and  the  stalwart 
form  of  a  pugilist,  coatless  and  prepared  for  the  fray,  revealed 
itself.  It  was  thought  best  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  the  covert 
of  Mr.  Hartmeyer's  house. 

Mr.  Schwarzbach  has  done  most  faithful  and  self-denying 
service  for  Liberty  Park.  In  addition  to  the  erection  of  the  church 
he  has  recently  built  a  neat  parsonage  at  a  cost,  with  ground,  of 
about  $1,800.  The  whole  property  is  worth  about  $3,500.  To 
the  construction  of  both  buildings  the  Churches  of  the  Presbytery 
have  contributed,  notably  the  First  Church  of  Camden,  which  has 
likewise  assisted  in  meeting  Mr.  Schwarzbach's  salary. 

Mr,  Schwarzbach  was  born  in  Chicago;  pursued  his  prelimi- 
nary studies  in  that  city  and  also  in  Basle,  Switzerland ;  studied 
theology  at  Bloomfield  Seminary ;  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Newark,  June  8th,  1680;  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Nassau ;  was  pastor  of  Flatbush  Reformed  Church,  L.  I.,  1881- 
1885;  pastor  of  Carmel  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia,  1885- 
1887,  and  since  the  latter  date  has  been  stated  supply  at  Camden. 

THE  CRAMER  HILL  MISSION 

Is  the  youngest  of  the  Presbyterian  enterprises,  and  is  under 
the  care  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church.  The  field  had 
long  awakened  the  interest  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee 
of  Presbytery  as  presenting  possibilities  of  development  and 
growth  unsurpassed  by  any  section  of  our  city.  At  the  suggestion 
of  some  of  the  members  of  the  Second  Church  who  resided  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  by  authority  of  Presbytery,  Mr.  Boyd 
by  personal  visitation  and  printed  appeal,  convened  a  meeting 
of  such  citizens  of  Cramer  Hill  as  were  favorable  to  the  plant- 
ing of  a  Presbyterian  Mission,  in  Pavonia  school-house,  November 
6th,  1889.  James  MacNab,  J.  H.  Troutman,  W.  W.  Davidson, 
Lewis  H.  Archer,  and  Richard  D.  Clover  represented  the  Second 
Church.     When  the  sense  of  the  meetino:  was  taken  it  was  found 


49 

that  tliere  Avere  16  Presbyterians  present  who  resided  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pavonia ;  that  a  number  more  appeared  by  proxy,  and  that  a 
still  larger  representation,  having  no  denominational  bias,  were  de- 
sirous of  organizing  a  school.  It  was  also  discovered  that  the 
Directors  of  the  Township  were  willing  to  grant  the  use  of  the 
school-room,  free  of  cost,  until  January  1st,  1890,  with  the  option 
of  leasing  it  thereafter  at  a  reasonable  rent. 

Wednesday  evening,  November  13th,  1889,  the  school  was  regu- 
larly organized,  with  a  membership  of  24  adults  and  7  children. 
Upon  the  following  Sunday  it  went  into  operation,  Mr.  Boyd 
being  present  and  conducting  the  services.  W.  W.  Davidson 
was  chosen  Superintendent;  David  Littlejohn,  Assistant  Superin- 


PROPOSED  CHAPEL   FOB   CRAMER   HILL   PRESBYTERIAN   MISSION. 

tendent;  James  MacNab,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  John  Caskey, 
Librarian.  Since  that  meeting  for  organization  a  preaching  ser- 
vice has  been  regularly  held  every  Thursday  night,  conducted  by 
the  pastor  of  the  Second  Church,  and  a  Sabbath-school  session 
every  Sunday  afternoon.  For  the  past  three  months,  through 
the  kindness  of  Presbytery,  Rev.  J.  B.  McCorkle  has  conducted 
worship  every  Sabbath  evening.  The  mission  is  now  projecting 
the  erection  of  a  chapel.  Three  lots  of  ground,  20  by  100,  have 
been  secured.  They  are  situated  at  the  corner  of  Cooper  and  Gar- 
field Avenues.  Mr.  Alfred  Cramer,  with  his  usual  liberality, 
donated  one  of  the  lots  and  deducted  $120  from  the  purchase-money 
of  the  other  two  for  prompt  payment.  Among  those  most  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  movement  have  been  the  families  of 
4 


50 

MacXab,  Holloway,  Lane,  Welsh,  Littlejolin,  Reed,  Caskey, 
Chittuck,  Kettle,  Sharp,  Weber,  Carlin,  Rogers,  Downing,  Ridge- 
ley,  Kyle,  Tice,  Leconey,  Okerson,  and  Smith.  The  Superin- 
tendent of  the  school  at  present  is  Nelson  B.  Kline. 


LOST  OPPORTUNITIES. 

In  the  year  1861  John  K.  F.  Stites,  who  afterward  labored  with 
great  acceptance  and  success  as  a  missionary  of  the  American  Sun- 
day-school Union  in  South  Jersey,  started  a  Union  Sunday-school 
upon  Locust  Street,  South  Camden.  The  building  in  which  it 
was  held  was  subsequently  removed  to  Third  Street,  below  Walnut, 
and  is  still  used  for  religious  purposes.  Although  it  bore 
no  distinctively  denominational  name  it  was  largely  officered  and 
supported  by  Presbyterians,  and  the  Westminster  Catechisms  were 
regularly  and  systematically  taught.  Dr.  Alexander  Marcy,  a 
brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Stites,  was  one  of  the  earliest  of  its  teachers. 
Upon  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Stites  as  Sunday-school  Missionary, 
new  superintendents  were  elected  and  for  some  years  James  H. 
Stevens,  an  elder  in  the  First  Cinirch,  acted  in  that  capacity.  The 
school  was  finally  abandoned,  the  results  of  faithful  work  flowing 
into  the  various  churches  of  the  neighborhood.  Had  it  been  fostered 
a  little  while  longer  it  might  have  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  Third 
Church.  A  Baptist  and  Methodist  congregation  were  already  in 
existence  and  the  only  legitimate  successor  of  the  Union  School 
would  have  been  of  Presbyterian  affinity. 

About  nine  years  ago  Mr.  John  Berryraan  had  collected  a  thrifty 
Sunday-school  in  Centreville.  Having  outgrown  the  private 
house  in  which  it  had  started,  an  effiart  was  made  to  secure  for  it  a 
suitable  buildinor  and  some  sort  of  ecclesijistical  recognition.  Mr. 
Berryraan  was  anxious  to  place  it  under  the  care  of  one  of  the 
Presbyterian  churches.  Eligible  lots  upon  which  to  build  a  chapel 
had  been  promised,  and  stone  and  other  material  could  have  been  se- 
cured for  the  asking,  but  the  opportunity  passed  away  unimproved. 
The  Woodland  Avenue  Mission,  which  has  just  been  placed  under 
the  care  of  the   First  Church,  and   which   is  located   not   many 


51 

squares  from  the  site  of  Mr.  Berryman's  school,  miglit  have  had 
no  reason  for  its  existence  if  the  earlier  occasion  had  been  seized. 

In  the  summer  of  1879  Mrs.  Harriet  Bergen,  the  wife  of  Hon. 
C  A.  Bergen,  conceived  the  idea  of  starting  a  Mission  Sabbath- 
school  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city.  A  meeting  for  that 
purpose  was  called  at  her  home,  522  Linden  Street.  Later  on  the 
key  of  the  house  628  North  Sixth  Street  was,  by  her  generous  act, 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Miss  Jennie  Porter  and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Wil- 
liams. The  building  was  thoroughly  cleaned,  benches  were  pro- 
cured from  Mr.  John  Morgan,  and  upon  the  20th  of  July,  1879, 
the  school  opened  with  forty-two  persons  present,  and  with  Henry 
Landis  as  its  first  superintendent.  The  first  teachers  were  Miss 
Jennie  Porter,  Miss  Minnie  Story,  Miss  Sadie  Story,  and  Mrs. 
Williams.  The  school  existed  until  May  31st,  1885,  when  it  was 
disbanded.  Members  of  different  denominations  had  been  among 
its  active  workers,  but  the  predominating  influence  was  Pres- 
byterian. About  the  time  of  its  dissolution  an  effort  was  made  to 
insure  its  continuance  by  placing  it  under  Presbyterian  care.  A 
desirable  lot  of  grouud  was  promised  at  a  reasonable  figure,  Mr. 
Bergen  made  a  liberal  offer  of  money  if  the  school  could  be  per- 
petuated, and  there  were  $125  in  the  treasury,  but  another  oppor- 
tunity was  permitted  to  elude  our  grasp.  The  superintendents  of 
the  school  were  Henry  Landis,  Robert  G.  Hann,  and  George  W. 
Hudson. 

FINAL    WORDS. 

Notwithstanding  what  might  seem  to  be^some  little  remissness, 
the  Presbyterian  Churches  of  this  city  have  accomplished  much 
for  this  community  and  for  the  cause  of  Christ  throughout  the 
world.  Their  growth  has  been  retarded  by  proximity  to  Philadel- 
phia, fluctuations  in  population,  and  manycircumstances  over  which 
they  have  no  control,  but,  nevertheless,  during  these  last  forty 
years,  about  3,000  members  have  been  taken  into  church  connec- 
tion, thousands  of  children  have  enjoyed  healthful  religious  train- 
ing, upwards  of  $67,000  have  been  contributed  to  benevolences 
abroad,  and  nearly  $375,000  to  religious  work  in  the  city.  It 
may  be  true  that  the  ratio  of  growth  in  membership  has  scarcely, 


x'-7/<yvo 


52 

ill  tliese  latter  years,  kept  pace  with  the  increase  in  population. 
The  successive  censuses  and  the  Minutes  of  General  Assembly 
teach  us  that  in  1840  there  was  1  Presbyterian  for  every  2^0  in- 
habitants; in  1850,  1  for  every  140;  in  1860,  1  for  every  89;  in 
1870,  1  for  every  43 ;  in  1880, 1  for  every  59  ;  and  in  1890.  1  for 
every  58.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  groAvth  of  our  city 
in  the  last  twenty  years  has  been  unprecedented,  rising  from  20,045 
in  1870,  to  41,159  in  1880,  and  to  more  than  58,000  in  1890; 
that  Philadelphia,  the  strongest  Presbyterian  city  in  the  Union, 
has  but  1  Presbyterian  for  every  34  inhabitants,  and  that  the  last 
five  years  have  witnessed  much  activity  in  the  matter  of  Church 
extension  in  Camden.  Four  buildings  have  been  erected  at  a 
present  valuation  of  $24,000  ;  one  more  is  in  process  of  purchase ; 
the  plans  for  another  have  just  issued  from  the  architect's  hands, 
and  upwards  of  ^25,000  have  been  spent  in  the  liquidation  of  debt 
or  the  improvement  of  property.  The  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Camden  has  gathered  up  some  salutary  lessons  from  the  experience 
of  the  past.  Laboring  side  by  side  Avith  her  beloved  brethren  of 
sister  denominations,  rejoicing  with  them  in  their  successes  and 
sympathizing  with  them  in  their  discouragements,  she  now  hopes 
to  press  on  to  better  things.  May  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church, 
whose  loyal  servant  she  seeks  to  be,  help  her  to  realize  the  hope ! 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILlPi' 


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